The Most She Ever Knew
by ElisaCollette
Summary: Tori survived years at the hands of a sadistic madman. Jade lived through her mother's reign of unbelievable terror. They're adults – they have productive lives. They're even happy. What happens when their past experiences intertwine and give them the needed courage to save another life? Fourth in the series - set after "Stronger Than You Seem."
1. It's Today

_Originally, this was supposed to be the second part of the plot for "Stronger Than You Seem." But, after a lot of toying with the ideas, I decided it muddied the first story, and I thought it would stand alone as it's own story. I hope you agree. _

_This story is set two-three months after the epilogue of "Stronger Than You Seem." It is more Tori/Jade friendship focused (and Tori focused) than the last two stories. I took a bit of a break because the angst gets a little too heavy at times – but this story had already sort of formulated in my head – and it wanted to be written. I hope you enjoy reading it.  
_

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**The Most She Ever Knew**

_**They painted up your secrets  
With the lies they told to you  
And the least they ever gave you  
Was the most you ever knew**_

**Acoustic #3, The Goo Goo Dolls**

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**Chapter 1 – It's Today **

"_What day is it?"  
It's today," squeaked Piglet.  
My favorite day," said Pooh."_  
― A.A. Milne

The tour had gone over extremely well – and had cemented Jade's staying power and ignited Tori's career. Her first album had gone to the top of the charts during the tour and she'd garnered three #1 hits from it before the summer ended. But by mid-August, they were all exhausted – and thrilled to be home in LA.

They had been home from the tour for less than a week – and most of that time was spent sleeping, eating non-restaurant food, and trying to get household things organized again. Jade's house was still a mess by her standards, which bothered her to no end – but it was slowly getting back to rights. The only person who wasn't almost finished unpacked was Cat. And Jade was about to hurry her along. It was seven on a Tuesday morning when Jade strode into her best friend's room, stepping over suitcases flung open and clothing strewn across the floor. "Cat, wake up," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and nudging the other woman's shoulder.

"Too early," Cat moaned.

"We're not on tour anymore," Jade told her. "We don't have late shows - you are not sleeping until noon - especially not when my house is a mess. I asked you to unpack and pick up your suitcases yesterday." She paused for dramatic effect and her voice held a strain of annoyance. "They're still in the middle of the floor."

Cat ignored her, rolled over, and tried to pull the covers over her head. Jade was faster – she ripped the blankets from the bed and threw them at the foot. "Katarina Valentine – get out of bed and clean up this mess. Now. We have things to do today." Jade was using her dangerously low voice, so Cat crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom. She was dressed a few minutes later and began picking up the clothing that dotted her bedroom carpet.

Jade stayed to help, so the process took less than an hour - with most of the clothing going to the laundry or the dry cleaner. Cat followed her to the kitchen and sat tiredly at the Island, watching as Jade prepared breakfast.

"Good morning!" Violet cried, bounding down the stairs. Jade knew immediately that Beck had filled her in on their surprise plans for the day.

"Good morning, baby girl," Jade said, leaning down to kiss Violet as she neared. Tori was in the kitchen several minutes later and within ten, Beck appeared with Coral dressed and ready for the day. For their own sanity, they didn't tell Cat where they were going. Even Violet knew to keep the redhead out of the loop until they were so close that she couldn't be kept in the dark any longer. They had driven to Anaheim to spend the day in Disneyland. Cat began bouncing within ten minutes of the park; she knew the area all too well. Violet, who had been unfortunate enough to be sitting beside her in the back of Beck's SUV, started to complain.

"Aunt Kitty, stop it! Mom!"

"Cat, sit still or you'll make Violet sick," Jade told her, in a voice that stopped her best friend mid bounce. Sometimes, the brunette felt her best friend was her child – and needed more direction than her own children. But Cat did settle down immediately – and then looked witheringly at Violet, who simply smiled and looked out the window. Robbie and Andre were waiting for them at the front gate. Andre had brought his date for the day. Her name was Jill and she was a kindergarten teacher. She was nice enough and she tried immediately to befriend Violet, but the child – even at her young age – already knew the likelihood of seeing the woman again, so she smiled politely and answered her when prompted, but mostly ignored her.

An hour after they arrived, Jade twirled Violet along the path as they walked toward the next ride. The little girl giggled and ended the movement by hugging her mother. "Thank you for taking us to Disneyland," she said happily.

"You're welcome," Jade told her. She couldn't take credit. Tori had mentioned the day before that only a week remained before Violet was back in school – and that both she and Cat would probably be happy with a trip to the magical land of Disney. What Tori hadn't mentioned in the conversation was the fact that she, too, adored the place. "It was Aunt Tori's idea – you should thank her." Violet skipped ahead to where Tori was walking and talking to Andre and Jill. The little girl launched herself into Tori's arms. The woman lifted her with ease and carried her against her hip. Violet still liked to be carried – and Jade hadn't been able to do it in over a year. She was getting heavy, though, so Tori put her down after she was thanked and instead held her hand as they entered the line for "It's a Small World." Jade bit back a groan as Beck handed her Coral and picked up the backpack filled with supplies, leaving the stroller near the entrance.

"I hate this ride," Jade told him huffily.

"Babe, you hate most of these rides," he said with a smile. He kissed her lips. "But Violet and Cat love them." He looked her in the eye. "So suck it up." She glared at him in a joking manner and stomped ahead to catch up with their friends. Stomping in strappy black sandals didn't have the same effect as the combat boots of her youth but in Beck's eyes, she still looked as she had at sixteen; an absolutely beautiful force to be reckoned with.

Cat and Robbie were in the front because Cat refused to walk in any place with the name Disney attached. She ran everywhere. It was one time that Jade was glad that Robbie was always close to her best friend – because no one else had the desire or ability to keep up with her in the August heat. Coral smiled happily at the brightly colored set pieces surrounding them. She reached out toward a painted arch that spiraled above their heads and into the building and squealed. Jade tickled her lightly and she giggled.

She was a happy baby; quieter than Violet, but just as happy. She had been born a month early and had frightened everyone with several early bouts with allergies, flus, and pneumonia. Her immune system was not what could be described as "top notch," but she was getting better all the time. She had only suffered through one cold during their tour that summer – and one small cold in a three month time period was a record for the tot.

Jade slid onto the little boat between Cat and Beck. Robbie was on Cat's other side, trying to touch the water below them. Tori, Violet, Andre, and his girlfriend of the day sat in front of them. Coral watched in awe as they motored through from room to room, country to country. Violet loved it – but Coral was mesmerized.

It was a happy day. Violet and Coral were dressed up like princesses and had their pictures taken. Jade – despite her reluctance to do so – used a bit of clout to get Violet and Cat on The Mary Poppins float in the parade. Since Tori had cajoled Jade into doing it, she was voted the adult who had to supervise the expedition. So, she was also stuck on the float, draped in a frilly dress and sitting behind Violet on a moving carousel horse. She smiled the entire time, until they saw Jade in the crowd. Jade got a scowl. The brunette smirked back at Tori and waved happily to Violet, who was enjoying herself immensely.

By the time they arrived home, everyone was exhausted. Coral had missed all of her naps for the day and was running out of patience and steam. Luckily, she fell asleep as soon as they were in the car. Her sister soon followed. Beck carried Violet straight to her bedroom and Jade carried Coral, changing her diaper and trading her little sundress for pajamas. She slept through the entire ordeal and remained sleeping as her mother tucked her into her crib and turned on the baby monitor.

Walking back to her own bedroom, Jade saw Tori walking up from the kitchen with a cup of tea. She smiled. Tori glared slightly. "I can't believe you made me go on that float."

"It was your idea to get Violet and Cat into the parade," Jade reminded her with amusement. "And I certainly wasn't getting on that fake horse." Tori smiled and shook her head. It was true; that never would have happened.

"I think everyone had a nice time," she observed, before sipping her tea.

"Absolutely," Jade agreed. "Good idea. What did you think of Andre's new one?" She gestured to Tori's bedroom and they both walked in, sitting in the two arm chairs that sat comfortably near a bookcase. Tori thought through the question carefully before grimacing.

She shook her head. "I like her. She's nice, she's smart. She doesn't seem caught up on the money – but he's not serious about her." Jade looked like she wanted to say something but she held back, staring silently at the nearest window. "What?"

"You don't want to hear it."

"That's never stopped you before," Tori reminded her sarcastically. It was barely banter anymore. There was little they didn't share; but it didn't mean they could give up the pretenses and share openly. They had their games and their cues; they'd been perfected and civilized over the years, but Tori and Jade still had an interesting dynamic to their relationship.

Jade cocked her head to the side and sifted through her words carefully before saying anything. "Andre is never going to be serious about anyone until you give him the go-ahead."

"He doesn't need my permission," Tori insisted. "That's ridiculous."

"He parades potential girlfriends in front of you all the time – he's looking for your approval – permission – some kind of sign."

"He's a player. He always has been," Tori reminded her. "She's just another flavor of the week." She continued to sip her tea, eventually emptying the teal mug.

Jade raised her eyebrows and considered it. "He's a player alright – but I think he's getting tired of the game. He's not bringing home floozy dancers and half-witted actress hopefuls anymore. He brought a kindergarten teacher. She was nice – polished. She's not a one-night stand kind of woman. Beck said he was dropping her off at home last night – at her own apartment – before he went home – by himself. He's looking for something more serious."

Tori scoffed. "That's his business, not mine."

"Whatever you say, Vega." The surname as nickname only came out when Jade was indicating that Tori was wrong. She walked away, leaving the other woman confused, torn, and out of any ammunition – and tea, too.

Jade had one more trip – but she knew Cat was asleep. The other woman might sometimes act like a five year old, but she still had the relative energy of a thirty year old. Sure, an energetic thirty year old, but still – the day had exhausted her as it had everyone else. Satisfied that everyone was where they should be, Jade headed to her own room.

When she arrived in bed, her husband was waiting for her, looking exhausted – but happy. "Good day?" he asked, putting his arm around her.

"Good day," she agreed, resting her head on his chest and snuggling into his side. "'love you."

"I love you too," he answered, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of her head. She sighed and relaxed against him, listening to his heartbeat until it lulled her to sleep.

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I thought it would be good to start on a happy note – so this chapter was fluffy and did not yet introduce the conflict. But I hope you enjoyed the fluff. Let me know!


	2. No One Can Hide Anything

Chapter 2 – No One Can Hide Anything

"No one can lie,

no one can hide anything,

when he looks directly into someone's eyes."  
~Paulo Coelho

Initially, the following day was supposed to be another outing. But the adults were still tired – so they spent the day by the pool. Violet was allowed to invite Faith, Maria, and Matt over. She called him Mattie – and the little boy made Beck very nervous. But Jade laughed and told him he was harmless – they were young and they were friends. The four soon-to-be third graders splashed and played while Jade and Beck watched from lounge chairs under a large umbrella. Coral occupied herself in the little playpen set up between them. Cat was lying on the deck, listening to her PearPhone, while Tori sat on the deck reading a book. It was a lazy day.

Beck did, however, engage his wife in an interesting conversation. "What did you say to Tori about Andre?"

"Nothing."

"Then why was looking sad and asking me if I think she's leading him on?" He made a face. "it was girl talk. I hate girl talk. You forced me into girl talk."

"Grow up," Jade told him with a smirk. "I said nothing that wasn't true. Andre's not doing anything with his personal life because he's still waiting to see if Tori's going to come running. And since she's not - she should give him approval on one of these women he keeps bringing over. If for no other reason than I'm tired of Violet meeting all of these different women - she hasn't asked about it yet, but she will."

Beck looked thoughtful. He wiggled his toes in his flip flops as a splash of water came up over the side of the pool and covered his feet. Faith, who had mistakenly caused the wave, paled as she looked up at him. Beck smiled - indicating his complete lack of problem with the water on his feet. She accepted that as permission to move, but she skittered away quickly. He turned to his wife. "Why is she afraid of me?"

"She's afraid of everyone but those three and Tori," Jade told him. "She tries to blend into the carpet when I walk into the room." She shook her head. "And don't change the subject. You're the one who brought it up."

He frowned under his thick sunglasses, glancing momentarily at the deck. "How do you know Tori's not going to want Andre in the end?"

Jade shook her head, her expression soft and sad. "Tori's never going to be ready for Andre - or any guy. Look at the last five years. It's amazing she can get out of bed in the morning - but any little deviation throws a wrench into the works. She's not going back into a relationship. Not that kind."

"You sound awfully sure."

"I wish I weren't, Jade answered honestly. She wanted more than anything for Tori to find some peace that would allow her to meet someone and fall in love - but it was so far outside the realm of reality that thinking about it hurt her heart. Over six years living in the same house, taking care of a person, gave you such insights.

They were quiet for a long time after the conversation. Beck wanted her to be wrong. Jade wanted to be wrong. They both knew how likely it was that she one hundred percent on the mark.

For dinner, Jade submitted to peer and kid pressure and ordered pizza, making herself a salad. They ate on the deck and then moved into the living room to put in a movie. After the visiting children were fed, dried out, and thoroughly tired out, Beck drove them home.

He returned home to a quiet evening followed by an unexpected surprise. That night, he walked into his bedroom to see something slightly amiss. "What's this?" He asked, grinning as he walked into the bedroom and saw a small box sitting on top of his pillow. It was a yellow rectangular box, tied with a green ribbon. Jade didn't answer; she simply smiled and continued removing her makeup. She watched him in the mirror as he approached the bed and opened the small gift. His grin widened and he crossed the room, sweeping her off her feet and ignoring her cries of indignation at not being finished. He kissed her.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too," Jade told him. "I take it this was the news you were hoping for?"

"I can't argue with prior success," Beck said with a smile as he held her close. "I'm up for as many as you are."

"Well, this is it," Jade told him with a sly smile. "So enjoy the moment."

"I enjoy all of them," he promised her happily. He dropped her on the center of the bed and crawled to meet her. She giggled uncharacteristically as he kissed his way up her abdomen and toward her neck.

"You have to lock the door first," she reminded him. He groaned and stood up. While he did that, she closed the lid on the positive pregnancy test and shoved it back in his nightstand drawer – she would dispose of it later. When he returned, she welcomed him back with a passionate kiss.

Jade had been intending to tell Tori, Cat, and Violet the next morning – but the day had begun oddly. Jade and Tori both overslept their internal – and external – alarms. Cat didn't have an alarm other than Jade, so she also remained in bed. Beck thought he was doing Jade a favor in allowing her to sleep. She woke to the smoke alarm beeping. Cat came running from the third floor, dazed by being pulled so suddenly from sleep. Coral, frightened by the noise, started crying. Jade picked her up and tried to calm her as she ran toward the noise. Violet woke up frowning – an odd thing for the little girl. Tori was startled awake and emerged from her room shaking. They all reached the kitchen at about the same time, robes and pajamas in various stages of disarray.

Beck was burning pancakes. Badly. The pan was beyond saving. Jade was holding the baby, so Tori was able to move quicker. She threw the smoldering piece of iron into the sink, along with the towel that had caught on fire. She turned on the water and the fire died down. The smoke continued to billow until everything was submerged under water. Jade turned off the alarm with the code that would tell their security company that it was a false alarm. Coral stopped crying as soon as the noise was gone. She collapsed against her mother, whimpered as she calmed down. Cat sat at the bottom of the stairs, head in her hands. Tori leaned against the counter, catching her breath. Violet stood in the middle of the kitchen, her hand on her hip and her toe tapping.

"Daddy," she said crossly.

"I was helping," Beck said, his words tenuous. Jade hid a smile by turning toward the refrigerator. Tori wasn't smiling – she was running her fingers under cold water – she'd grabbed the hot handle of the pan without thinking. Violet was still glaring. She had her mother's glare.

"No one has to work today – no school," Jade said, trying to keep the peace. "so let's just forget about the pancakes and go out to brunch. There's that tea room by the botanical gardens we've been meaning to go to. Beck, can you call for reservations? Earliest they have – we'll get ready and go."

"I was trying to help," he said, eyes sad.

"I know," Jade agreed, walking across the room to kiss him. She put a hand against the side of his face. "And I love that you're willing to help," she said sincerely. She paused and became more glib: "but stop trying to burn down out house. We like this house."

She turned to her daughter, who still looked grumpy. "Violet, don't look at your father that way. Accidents happen – he didn't mean to set off the alarm. Apologize and go get ready." The little girl did what she was told. Cat followed her up the stairs.

"Cat – we're going out," Jade called after her. "Don't get back in bed." She walked over to the sink to look at Tori's hand.

"It's fine," Tori assured her. "It won't blister." It was really only her thumb that had been burned – and after she'd run it under cold water, she realized the burn wasn't that bad. She wrapped a few ice cubes in a paper towel and held it in her hand as she walked up the stairs. Jade followed after a quick few words with Beck.

"Love you, babe," she said, smiling softly at Beck's look of disappointment. "Don't worry about it." He got over things quickly, so he nodded and started to clean up his mess before calling for reservations.

The impromptu brunch was followed by a trip to the botanical gardens and the zoo. They were home in the early afternoon and Coral was down for her nap. Jade walked into the living room and watched as Violet and Cat squabbled over what movie to put into the player. "Violet," she called softly. The little girl turned to her and looked like she was going to cry.

"Mama – I want—"

"Come here," Jade said gently. She put her arms around the little girl and walked with her back up to the second floor – and straight into her bedroom.

"I don't wanna take a nap," Violet cried as Jade led her over to the bed.

"You're whining," Jade told her evenly. "You need a nap." She lay next to Violet. "Close your eyes."

"Mama—"

"Close your eyes."

_The other night dear, as I lay sleeping  
I dreamed I held you in my arms  
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken  
So I hung my head and I cried._

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_  
_You make me happy when skies are gray_  
_You'll never know dear, how much I love you_  
_Please don't take my sunshine away_

Violet was asleep before the second verse – further proof that she needed a nap. Jade crept from the room, checked on Coral, and climbed into her own bed for a quick nap. It had been an exhausting day – and it wasn't even dinner time.

That night, Coral, Violet, and Cat were all sleeping by nine. Tori and Jade sat at the kitchen table playing scrabble while Beck avoided the confrontational game by working on his car. It was almost ten when Jade received a call from Addie. "I need you to come to your mother's house." It was the first and only thing she would say. Jade tried to pry more information from her, but Addie kept repeating that she needed to come – now. Tori stayed at home – left with little information and lots of worry. Beck drove Jade to the house on Granger Avenue. There was a mess of police cars and ambulances in front of the decrepit mansion. Addie was standing outside, leaning against her small blue Mercedes.

"What is going on?" Jade demanded. "You do realize that I don't give a shit if she's dead."

"I wish she were dead," Addie said softly. "Your father asked the police to serve an eviction notice. When the police arrived, John and Camilla put up a fight – he actually tried to pull a gun. It gave the officers the right to search the premises. Then they found her and called for backup. I have a contact with the police force – he called me because he knew of my connection with you. I'm trying to keep the media out of the way – but it's only a matter of time. I've called Linley."

"Who?" Jade demanded. "Who did they find?" Addie was not talking about Camilla – not with that tone of voice. Beck held tightly onto his wife as they watched John being handcuffed and dragged into one of the marked squad cars. Camilla was close behind, being placed into a second car. The cars disappeared quickly and yet there were still officers everywhere.

Addie motioned for them to follow her and she walked them up to a female officer stationed near the front door. "Dana, this is Jade West and her husband Beck Oliver. They would be the closest family."

"What?" Jade asked again, her voice nearly screeching.

The officer looked at Jade apologetically and led them into the house and up the stairs. She knew in the back of her brain where they were going - her feet didn't want to go there. But Beck's hand on her back propelled her forward. Police officers were sprinkled throughout Jade's childhood bedroom. Several women knelt in front of the closet, talking softly.

Jade's heart stopped. The sounds in the room became nothing more than a cloud of mumbles and whirs as her eyes focused on the center of the circus.

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Thank you for the wonderful reviews last chapter!

I hope you liked this one.

Please review! Let me know what you thought! Do you have a clue about what happened at the end? What do you think it is? Do you agree with Jade's assessment of Tori's ability to have an intimate relationship? Please share!


	3. She Was There

Sorry for the bit of a cliffhanger. I don't usually do them – but I thought it was appropriate here.

Thanks for the reviews and the feedback - it's always appreciated! You'll have to let me know how much of this you had figured out already.

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Chapter 3 – She Was There

"_Just because you didn't put a name to something did not mean it wasn't there."  
_― Jodi Picoult, _Handle With Care_

_Jade's heart stopped. The sounds in the room became nothing more than a cloud of mumbles and whirs as her eyes focused on the center of the circus._ There was a child staring at them from the back of her old closet. A frightened, filthy, skin-and-bones child. But she was there. Her eyes were bright blue, her hair a dark brown under the oil and dirt and blood.

Not really thinking once about what she was doing, Jade stepped over the people stationed outside the closet and sat just inside the door, her back to the wall. The child didn't move from her position, standing at the very back corner, but her eyes were wide in fear. Jade knew she looked too much like Camilla to be an immediately comforting sight. Damned DNA. She looked over at the little girl and patted the floor.

"It's okay," she promised in a soft, melodious voice. It was the voice that put Violet and Coral to sleep nightly. It was the voice she'd used when Tori was lost in a state of constant panic and terror. "No one else is going to hurt you. You don't have to leave until you're ready." She was quiet for several minutes and refrained from moving. Eventually, the child slid along the back wall, sitting on the faded carpet.

"My name is Jade," she said softly, keeping her voice even and light. She waited to make sure the sound hadn't scared her. Certain that the child was still listening, she continued. "When I was little, I lived in this room. Camilla was my mom." She paused and looked into the child's eyes. "Is Camilla your mom?" A solemn nod answered every fear that had been building inside the older woman.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly. She was silent, trying to decide how to proceed. "I know she hurts you," Jade eventually whispered apologetically. "They both do. I'm not going to let that happen anymore." She was completely uncertain as to how she was going to keep the promise - but she was. It was yet another lifelong promise that divvied up a piece of her soul and gave it away. But she couldn't seem to stop herself. No other choice would have been survivable. The child tried to look at Jade to judge her trustworthiness but there was a bright light being shone into the closet by one of the officers; she squinted painfully as soon as she raised her eyes.

"Turn it off," Jade said to them. The harsh light disappeared and the little girl could see again. She observed Jade for a long time. One of the women kneeling in front of the closet tried to speak with her but Jade quieted them with one raised hand.

She knew they were being watched by the room full of officers and what she assumed to be social workers. She could hear the helicopters outside; someone had leaked that she and Beck were there. This was her childhood home. Her mother had been taken away in handcuffs. There was no way this wasn't going to be news.

"Beck?" She spoke quietly; she didn't want to spook the child. He was at her side almost immediately.

"Do you really think?" He asked, uncomfortably. He'd connected the dots - but he hadn't wanted to. Jade nodded at his half-asked question.

"It's either that or kidnapping - both are devastating. Right now I'm worried about getting her out of here. Can you have one of the ambulances pull into the garage? Those cameras aren't going to get anything useful." He nodded and kissed her cheek before disappearing. Jade turned back to the little girl.

"Sweetheart, let's get out of here, okay? This is a bad place. We need to get you out of here." She paused. The child still looked terrified - and clearly had no idea if she should trust Jade. "I know they did bad things – but that's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong." The girl looked confused and remained frightened but she had carefully begun edging closer and closer to Jade. As the older woman continued speaking, the child eventually ended up in her lap. One of the social workers reached for the child and Jade glared daggers.

"I'm going to pick you up so we can leave – okay?" The little girl nodded – just barely. Jade lifted her and stood, holding her close as she walked out of the room and toward the garage exit. As she walked, she spoke. "We have to go to see a doctor – she's going to make sure you're okay." The child whimpered and tried to struggle but Jade had her held tightly and she weighed almost nothing; she wasn't going anywhere. Jade climbed into the ambulance and sat on the stretcher, the girl in her arms. Beck climbed in after her but she shook her head.

"Bring the car. Call Dr. Jo – ask her to meet us at Children's." Beck nodded and walked away to follow her instructions. A police officer walked with him, holding a golf umbrella to shield him from the hovering media. One of the paramedics spoke.

"Mrs. West – we were told to go to County – it's closer and –"

"And it's cheaper and the care doesn't have the same quality. Go to Children's," Jade ordered. He climbed into the front of the truck and they were soon moving. A second EMT leaned over Jade, trying to examine the child. Not much was accomplished during the ride except to declare that the girl was malnourished and dehydrated; Jade could have saved them the time and effort and told them that information on her own.

When they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Josephine Lynd was waiting. She had been Violet's - and now Coral's - pediatrician since birth; she knew Jade and Beck well. Jade walked up to her and whispered to the child. "This is Dr. Jo. She's going to take good care of you."

"What is your name, little one?" Dr. Jo asked, slipping her stethoscope under the child's dirty dress and listening carefully for a heartbeat. She received no answer and looked at Jade, who shrugged.

"She hasn't said a word." A nurse joined them with a small gurney and Jade placed the child on it. She tried to struggle, but Jade kept contact with her, one hand gently holding hers while the other pinned her in place. "I'm not going to leave you – but you have to let the doctor help."

They were in the ER for hours. The little girl squirmed and was clearly terrified and unhappy, but she never said a word. When she cried, it was silent. Dr. Jo tried to explain when she was doing and what she was checking on, but there was little she could do to make the experience less upsetting – especially after how the girl had been found.

After a mixture of drugs stabilized the child's vitals, she was moved into a private room. A police officer stood guard. Once the little girl was sleeping, Jade was able to pull away and step into the hall to speak with one of the social workers.

"She doesn't match any missing cases. And we can't find any record of her birth if she is your mother's," the woman told her. "Your mother and step-father won't say a word."

"I'm not surprised," Jade told her, running a hand nervously through her hair. It then fell restlessly to her hip as she waited for the doctor to join them.

"I'd say she's about eight - maybe a bit older," Dr. Jo told them, her eyes sad, voice heavy with emotion. "But she doesn't weigh forty pounds soaking wet. She's severely malnourished and dehydrated." She paused. "She's covered in bruises and scars." She paused again. "Her skin tone – it suggests that she's never been in natural sunlight before."

Jade shook her head; she didn't want to know any of this; she didn't want it to be true. Eight years? How in the hell hadn't she known? How had no one known? She had been in that house a year and a half before. She entered that house and left again, leaving a little girl a prisoner. She couldn't let herself think about it anymore; she shook her head and blinked back tears. Beck appeared – he had been talking to the police – and stood behind her, holding her. "We're going to run a DNA test," Dr. Jo told her. "But I don't imagine it's going to tell us anything we don't already know – she belongs to Camilla. The eyes are a dead giveaway." Jade nodded. They weren't as shocking as the blue eyes Jade had inherited from Alex; but Camilla's eyes were still a bright blue - and the child had inherited those. Those eyes gave away more than one secret.

"We're going to do a few tests tomorrow – she is underweight and under-height by a significant amount. A CAT scan can tell us if there is still time to make up for that deficiency. We're going to do an MRI to check for concussions and breaks. " Jade nodded. Dr. Jo continued to look at her with regret and she knew in the pit of her stomach what was coming next.

"Because of her age, she needs to be under anesthesia for the CAT scan and MRIs. While she's under, I want to do a full physical exam - including a pelvic exam. There is no need to make her go through that awake."

"You think it's necessary to do that?"

"From the initial cursory exam, I know it is," Dr. Jo answered. "I'm so sorry." Jade nodded. She looked calm, but Beck could feel her begin to shake.

"Do it while she's under," she confirmed. In her head, she was moving through every profanity imaginable.

Once the doctor was gone, they reentered the hospital room. Beck sat with his wife, watching the child sleep. She was so innocent - so vulnerable. How could a parent do such a thing? He would rather rake out his own eyes with his fingernails than see his daughters in pain. And these monsters had caused their daughters' pain. "What in the hell were they thinking?" He asked, practically whispering in her ear.

"You assume they have morals and souls," Jade told him coldly. She clutched his hand and looked up at him when he winced. She lifted his right hand in both of hers and examined it carefully. "What did you do?"

"It's nothing."

"It could be broken," she said, eying the bruises that were blossoming from his knuckles. Eventually, he allowed a doctor to look at it - and his hand was broken in two places. Luckily, no surgery was required. Jade didn't ask him how he did it - it was clear. He didn't complain once, despite the fact that he was clearly in pain. It was almost two in the morning when she convinced him to go home; the kids were in bed and Cat was too, but Tori would be awake waiting for answers.

Once he was gone, Jade curled into the recliner on the other side of the little girl's bed but she never slept. She was still wide awake every hour when the nurses entered to check on the child. Jade knew she had to look terrible - because one of the nursing assistants actually brought her tea. Jade thanked her and continued sitting vigil.

Beck walked into the quiet house to find that Tori was awake, as he had known she would be. Curled into the sofa, she was watching something mindless on the television, her eyes barely focused on the sitcom repeat. She sat up as soon as she heard the front door open. Her eyes were underlined by dark circles. "What happened? Why didn't you guys call?"

He locked the front door behind him and walked into the living room, sitting across from her on the sofa. He told her the truth - quickly. There was no easy or clean way to tell her what they'd seen - what they'd found. Tears welled in her eyes as he described the room - the little girl has been a prisoner. She'd spent her entire life as a prisoner to the people who had tortured Jade for years. She didn't sleep much that night, instead tossing and turning until Coral woke at five, looking for her first meal. Tori fed her and lay back in bed, cuddling the baby until it was time to wake up with the rest of the house.

Tori arrived at the hospital early the next morning, after she had taken Violet to school. The unidentified child had been awake for a few minutes that morning but was sleeping again when Tori got there. The brunette stood in the doorway, her eyes swimming with tears. "Who does this?" she asked hoarsely.

"You know the answer to that question," Jade told her, her voice cold and tired from hours of grief and worry. Nevertheless, she stood and hugged one of her oldest friends and let her cry.

Tori was with her when the child woke. "Good-morning," Jade said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's okay," she promised, seeing the terror in the child's eyes. "You're okay. No one is going to hurt you." She moved the bed so she was sitting up.

"This is my friend Tori," she said, pointing at the other woman. "Beck had to go to work. But he'll come back later."

Breakfast arrived – cereal, fruit, peanut butter toast, and juice. The little girl stared at the tray but touched nothing. She shivered when Jade got too close.

Tori saw something in her expression that made her jump in. She knew that look. She knew it all too well. "That's for you," Tori told her, sitting on the side of the bed opposite Jade. "You can eat as much of it as you want – it's all yours." The little girl continued to stare, silent and un-acknowledging. Tori picked up the spoon and put a bit of the cereal on it. It was cheerios; completely harmless. She moved the spoon closer to the child's mouth. "Open up," she said softly. She did, and Tori tilted the food into her mouth. She chewed obediently. This method worked for about half of the cereal and the glass of juice. Jade could do nothing but watch; she knew the problem and it cut through her heart; she looked too much like her damned mother.

That afternoon, after the preliminary tests were done and the child was awake again, one of the hospital's psychiatrists arrived. Katie Flaherty came highly recommended by Emily and Isabelle. She arrived with a gift – a soft brown teddy bear that she handed to the little girl. The child accepted it and stroked it gently, as though it were the softest thing she'd ever held.

Sweetie, what is your name?"

The little girl looked at her strangely. She started over. "My name is Katie." She pointed to Jade. "Her name is Jade." Then to Tori "Her name is Tori. What is your name?" The child looked down at the blanket on the small bed and didn't answer. Katie repeated the question twice before the child finally whispered something. The therapist had to lean close and ask her to repeat herself.

"So you can speak," the woman said with a smile. "That's good thing. But darling, that is not your name." She continued to talk softly, telling the little girl she was safe – and that they were going to take good care of her. The woman left the room twenty minutes later and Jade followed her, arms crossed defensively against her chest.

"What did she say?"

Katie shook her head. "My God. How can someone raise a child to think that is her name?" She softly whispered to Jade what the child had told her and her face paled.

After Katie left, Jade and Tori decided to take the little girl outside. The hospital had a rooftop garden. One of the nurses brought them a small wheel chair and helped detach her from the wires and tubes around the bed. "Not too long," the nurse admonished them. "Her skin is very sensitive." She handed a small pair of sunglasses to Jade. "And her eyes might be too." Tori wrapped one of Violet's sweaters around her and they were off.

At first, she was worried when they left the elevator and there was no roof. "It's okay," Tori promised her, holding her hand as they walked through a small arbor. There was a butterfly garden at the far end and while it was a little late in the day for the butterflies to appear, there were plenty of flowers still blooming.

The child almost smiled when Jade plucked one of the flowers from one of the plants and handed it to her. Tori chided Jade – but the ghost of a smile from the little girl was worth the illegal act.

That night, after Beck and Tori were both at the hospital and Ella was at home with Violet, Coral, and Cat, Jade took a drive to the prison. She demanded to see her mother – the authorities obliged.

"What in the hell is her name?" Jade said, the moment Camilla was wheeled into the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Camilla said, her act of weakness thick and ridiculous.

"Mother, what did you name her?"

"Your father named you," Camilla said in a bored tone.

"Are you telling me that you never named that little girl?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Camilla repeated.

But her smile gave her away. They'd never given the child a name. Jade was livid; she fumed. Tori cried.

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Please Review - let me know what you thought. What do you think will/should happen to the little girl? What do you think Jade will do? How about Tori?

Thanks for reading!


	4. Names Have Power

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews. Here is Chapter 4 – enjoy!

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Chapter 4 – Names Have Power

_Words have meaning and names have power. _

_~ Author Unknown_

How was it possible for a night to last forever but a morning to come too quickly? Neither Jade nor Tori was sure how it was possible, but it was how they each felt the next morning. They both slept in the hospital room and found themselves being woken at six in the morning by the doctor's arrival.

"Let's talk in my office," Dr. Jo suggested, once they were both awake and waiting for her to speak. Jade and Tori both looked at the bed, where the child was still sleeping. "She'll be fine. We'll only be a little while." Nervously, they both agreed and followed her to a nearby office. Katie was there, as was Emily Nealson. Jade looked at her therapist, who tried to smile; it turned out more like a grimace.

"I asked Emily to consult with Katie on the case – she has a background in cases of childhood trauma." Jade knew that – it didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable. "Please, have a seat." Jade and Tori sat in the two empty chairs at the table while the pediatrician opened a file folder. Jade's stomach turned; she hadn't had a chance to look at the file – she had no idea what was in it. That made her incredibly unnerved. The room grew warm and she shrugged out of her sweater.

Tori leaned close. "Are you okay?" Jade nodded but Emily must not have believed her, because she walked across the office and pulled a bottle of water from a mini fridge and handed it to the brunette. After she was feeling less overwrought with heat and fear, Jade waved her hand at the file and told the doctor to start talking.

"The results from the DNA test confirm what we already suspected – Camilla is her biological mother, John her biological father." Jade felt her sunken stomach flip again and she shifted uneasily in her chair. She knew they were all watching her for a reaction. What were they expecting? They had already known this was probably the case. She simply nodded.

"What are the social workers planning to do with this information?"

"I'm sure they'll be in contact," Dr. Jo told her. "But I don't see any reason that they would fight you on custody—"

"If that is what you want – and what you decide is best for her – and your family," Emily said, interrupted the other doctor. Dr. Jo was annoyed, but Emily didn't seem to care. "This is a big decision – and not one that needs to be made right now."

Katie frowned. "She needs stability. She's going to be confused if you two are constantly here – and then you disappear two weeks from now."

Dr. Jo put her hand up and stopped the two psychologists from beginning an argument. "Right now, my concern is her physical well being. We'll go over the results of the tests we've run – and then you can start a conversation about what to do next."

They learned quickly what the tests had revealed. The tiny child was well underweight and not nearly average height, but her growth was more on target than the doctor had first feared. And the scans had shown no damage to her growth plates. Once she was fed properly and started physical therapy, she should start growing to the appropriate size for her age.

Physically, she'd been abused. The signs had been there all along – there were no surprises. But that didn't make it any easier to hear. Tori tried her best, but she couldn't keep herself from crying. After the sobs became deep, Jade paused the meeting and took her into the hall.

"Calm down," she said, softly. "You can't do this right now."

"I know," Tori said between the tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Jade told her. "Take a deep breath." She waited until Tori followed her instructions. "And another one." She continued talking her through breathing exercises until she had calmed down considerably.

They reentered the office and sat down again, this time Jade held Tori's hand and squeezed it every so often, reminding her to breathe. Dr. Jo told them that the visit with the occupational therapist had given them the most information. The child did not know how to read – but she had quickly caught on with the alphabet. She did not know her numbers – but once they were introduced to her, she had them. In other words, she'd been taught nothing – but she was intelligent. And she had picked up language skills somewhere – because she understood what people were saying to her.

"We believe someone took care of her – at least at some point in her life," Katie told them. Jade looked confused. She knew neither Camilla nor John had done anything but hurt the child. "She understands kindness – despite the fact that we can safely assume her parents never showed her any. She accepts comfort when it's offered. She understands language. These aren't things that are seen with children who have been hidden from society. She's not feral – and the only explanation for that is either her parents showed her some love and compassion – or someone else was involved."

"I'm putting my money on the third party," Jade said angrily.

"I know it sounds disheartening," Katie responded. "But these are good things. The fact that she understands not every adult is out to hurt her – that some people are kind. There is an intelligent, loving child in there – we just need to do a lot of work to help her catch up on all the things she should have been learning and enjoying all these years."

Jade bit her lip as she considered the information. "My mother doesn't like to clean. She always had a cleaning lady – a housekeeper. There were two in my thirteen years in that house. She always hired illegal aliens – I think she did it to keep them quiet about what was going on in the house. She always had a card to play if they said anything."

"If there was a housekeeper coming daily – or even a few times a week, that could explain some of the social and communication skills she's gained."

Dr. Jo told Jade to make sure she shared the housekeeper information with the police – they were trying to build an airtight case against her mother and John for child endangerment, abuse, and a whole slew of other charges. Jade hated talking to police – but she was all too happy to share information that might put another nail in her mother's coffin.

"I spoke with my mother," Jade told the women, after they'd reviewed all of their findings. "I don't believe they ever named her." Tori started tearing up again and the doctors looked horrified – but not particularly surprised.

"She needs a name," Katie said immediately.

"No shit," Jade wanted to say. Instead, she bit her tongue and nodded. "How do we do that? Without confusing her?" They talked about it for a few minutes and formulated a plan. After that, Katie and Dr. Jo both went over their plans for treatment and answered Jade's questions. Tori was too numb to ask questions.

As they were parting ways, Emily stopped Jade. The brunette nodded at Tori, indicating that she should go and check on the child. Emily sat back at the table – Dr. Jo and Katie had left. Jade sat next to her, sighing in frustration and annoyance. Emily didn't wait for Jade to speak. "I know you think you are somehow responsible," Emily told her. "You're not."

"How did you get involved in this?"

"Your husband called me," she told Jade. "He was worried. He also told me about the baby." Jade scowled. "I had already been consulting with Katie on the case – but without names. I didn't know of your involvement until Beck called."

"You don't need to be here," Jade told her. "I don't have time for you."

"Make time," Emily suggested firmly.

"You annoy me."

"That doesn't bother me. Most everyone in your life annoys you to some extent. It's your warm and charming personality."

"That's rude."

"Stop trying to deflect from the topic. How are you dealing with this?"

Jade's expression was pained. Time wasn't available for her to process anything. Let alone deal with it. "I don't know what to think. She's my sister. Camilla's daughter. And John's."

"Jade, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard this is for you."

The woman shrugged and bit her lip before answering back thoughtfully. "I think it would have been worse if they had kidnapped her from a happy home."

"What they've done is unforgivable," Emily told her. "There is no better or worse. There's no use trying to qualify it. And no matter that she was conceived by them – or if she had been kidnapped – there was nothing you could have done to stop it."

Jade shook her head. "I should have reported them when Ella wanted me to. If I had told—"

"You were thirteen."

"It was still my decision to let them get away with what they did to me."

"It was your choice to survive what happened and try to create a good life for yourself – and you did that, despite what they tried to do to ruin you. That decision allowed you to move on. At the time, it was the right one for you."

"But it put her in danger." Her voice was soft – haunted.

Emily shook her head and leaned forward in her chair, her eyes focused directly on Jade's. "You cannot think like that. It's not going to help anything now. And it's simply not true. You're not doing anything but torturing yourself."

It didn't matter that Jade knew she was right – the feelings were unavoidable. She couldn't just change her mind; she knew it was her fault. She was too selfish – too terrified – to file charges against her mother and John when her father took custody. Violet had almost paid the price. This unnamed child actually had.

After making Jade promise to keep her appointments that week, Emily left to return to her office in time for her next session. Jade sat in the empty office for a long time, her brain working through the ideas Emily had dredged up. When Dr. Jo returned to grab a different file, Jade finally stood and walked back to the girl's hospital room, her doubts once against hidden.

The next afternoon, Tori pulled the girl onto her lap. "Today you get a new name," she told her. "It gets to be yours forever. How does that sound?" The child looked curious. Beck, Jade, and Katie were all there. Katie had told them to give her a few choices – but not too many; they didn't want to overwhelm her. She liked flowers. The flowers that had been brought by different visitors and the flowers on the rooftop garden – they grabbed her attention. Jade guessed she'd never seen flowers before. At least not live ones.

So, they'd thrown a few flower possibilities out and brought pictures. They'd brought out the names Lavender, Lily, Daisy, Rose, and Marigold. She liked Lily. The name and the picture. Jade and Tori both saw it immediately in her reaction.

Lily Catherine West had no true birthday that anyone would ever know about. Addie had the birth certificate created and it was all fiction. Her birthday was set at eight years prior to the day she'd been discovered. Her name was fiction - something they would have to give life to over time. Jade didn't want Lily to have any connection with John – so she told Addie to put Camilla and Alex's names on the birth certificate, making Camilla's maternity the only truth to the piece of paper. But money did amazing things - including making valid a solid piece of fiction. It was a starting point; one they needed.

Jade had been at the hospital for three days. She'd showered once, quickly, and changed her clothing, but she hadn't left. Beck and Tori finally cajoled her into going home on the third morning. Violet came running when she heard Jade's footsteps in the kitchen.

"Mama!" Jade quickly set aside her keys and purse and knelt to hug Violet. "Where did you go? Why weren't you here?"

"I'm sorry, baby girl," Jade said truthfully. "I'm so sorry. I'll explain - I promise. But I need to go take a shower and sleep for a few hours - then we can talk."

"And you need to eat something," Ella said. She had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, holding Coral. Jade nodded obediently and pushed a few locks of hair behind her ears. Violet insisted on following her up the stairs and sitting in her bedroom while she showered. When Jade slipped under the covers, her oldest daughter curled up against her, basking in her embrace. Ella crept into the room before Jade fell asleep and placed Coral beside her, tucked between mother and oldest daughter.

Jade had intended to sleep for two or three hours. She slept for nine. When she woke, Violet and Coral had disappeared and it was clearly dark outside. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed into a pair of jeans and a black tank with a thin, black, lace-edged sweater. She walked into the living room to find that dinner was over. Violet was sitting at the coffee table, working on her homework while Bryan sat nearby, building a puzzle and ready to help. She wouldn't need him; she never needed help with her homework.

Ella and Coral were nowhere to be seen, but Jade followed voices to the kitchen. Beck was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, talking to Alex West. Her father was clutching a snifter of brandy as though it were a life preserver. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, rimmed in red. Jade poured herself a glass of water and sat next to Beck, avoiding any direct acknowledgement of her father.

Beck kissed her lips, then her forehead. She didn't respond directly, but she did grasp his hand under the table. "Your dad was questioned by the police for two days," he said gently. "They want to talk to you. I tried to keep them away - but you need to call the detective in charge and go talk to him." She remained silent.

"I had no idea," Alex said hollowly.

"I know that," Jade told him. It was the first thing she'd said since waking into the room. "She's insane. They both are. No one could have known-" Her words were cut off. It was an assurance for herself as much as it was for him. It had to be true. They couldn't have known. There had been no way to know.

"How is she, the little girl?" Alex asked, voice trembling.

"How do you think?" she snapped.

"Jade," Beck said, chastising her with only her name. She folded.

"I'm sorry. I'm just tired - and still in shock. She's in bad shape. She doesn't like to - but she can talk. They weren't sure at first, but she can. She doesn't eat much - and she's behind - so far behind in everything." They talked for a long time. Alex apologized over and over again – trying to convince himself that he would find forgiveness. He, like Jade, had so many doubts. What if he had reported the abuse all those years before? What if he had tried to evict Camilla years before? So many decisions in his court could have kept this from happening. It was a long, tiring night as father and daughter talked about things that had been taboo for so long.

After dropping Violet at school the next morning, Jade drove to the police station to meet with the lead detectives on her mother's and John's case. Addie met her there. "Mrs. West, thank you for coming," Detective Jennings said, standing to greet Jade. "I'm sorry to trouble you. You certainly didn't need to bring a lawyer."

Jade shrugged and glanced briefly at Addie. "I pay her anyway - I might as well use her talents. What is going on with my mother and John - tell me you are keeping them in jail." The detective led Jade and Addie into a private room and offered them drinks. They both accepted bottles of water. Jade didn't touch hers - she was waiting first for an answer to her question.

"We have a solid case on child endangerment and neglect. If the DNA results on the fluids come back the way we know they should, we'll have him for rape of a minor. There is enough physical evidence - and with her current state, the DA agrees that she shouldn't have to testify - even if they plead not guilty." Jade was relieved to hear that.

"Mrs. West, did you have any idea that little girl was living in that house?"

"No," Jade told him coldly. "I would have been the first person to demand you remove her from the place. I know what they're capable of." That single question led them into a labyrinth of questions and answers that would have Jade lying awake for a week worth of nights. Yes, Camilla and John were abusive. No, she did know when they had a baby. Yes, it was likely they had been abusing her since her birth. Camilla had started in on her at birth - there was no question that she would have done the same to Lily. After three hours, Addie asked the detective for a break. He granted it, leaving them alone.

"Why are they doing this?"

"They have to cover all of their bases," Addie said, trying to mollify her. "They had your dad in here for two days. The poor man was beside himself. You're doing fine - I'll get you out before dinner." She was true to her word. The detective thanked Jade for her cooperation and let her leave about an hour after the break.

As she was standing to leave, Jade turned to face the man in charge of the investigation. "Make sure they pay for this."

"Ma'am, I've read this case file over a dozen times - I know what they did do that little girl. To you. I won't have it any other way." Jade nodded and left the station, ignoring Addie's suggestions to go home and rest and instead going to the hospital to relieve Tori - who had been there for almost a solid 48 hours.

The other woman was fine. She was lying on the small bed, Lily curled into her side. Jade looked at her questioningly as she sat her purse in the corner and pulled a chair close. "She's out for the night," Tori answered quietly. "She had a panic attack during her session with Katie. She's been having them more and more - as she's recovering physically, her emotional state is fading."

"What have they suggested?"

"I didn't talk to them about it," Tori admitted. "She was so upset - I didn't want to leave her. And I thought you'd want to be in on that conversation." Jade nodded; Tori was right.

"I just finished speaking with the detective in charge," Jade told her. "Did you speak with them?" Tori nodded. "Was Addie there?" Another nod. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Tori pressed her lips to the top of the child's head and shrugged. "I'm fine," she promised. "They haven't spoken with Cat - Beck convinced them that she's useless for information. She helped the process by coming down the stairs with Mr. Purple and declaring her love for him in front of the detective and his partner. She was rehearsing lines for her next movie - we didn't fill them in on that detail."

Jade smiled. "It's okay. It's better if they stay away from Cat." Tori nodded, her hand gently brushing through Lily's loose, natural curls.

"What are we going to do?" Tori asked, her voice barely a whisper. Jade shook her head.

"I have to talk to the doctors," Jade told her. "I don't know. I haven't said anything to Violet or Cat - they don't have a clue what's going on."

"What are you going to tell them?"

"I don't have any idea," Jade responded. Tori slept in the bed with Lily, Jade in the recliner beside the bed. The nurses had told them time and again that only one adult was allowed to spent the night with each patient - but no one was willing to actually enforce that rule with Jade West around.

Tori and Jade continued switching on and off that week - making sure Lily was never alone. But as Violet grew more insistent upon seeing her mother, Tori spent more time at the hospital. By Sunday evening, Jade knew she had to tell her daughter something.

After dinner, she took Violet to her room and sat on her bed, the child facing her on her lap. Beck had followed them and was sitting quietly in the corner on the green-cushioned glider.

"Violet, we need to talk about something that's really hard to talk about," Jade said, finally.

"Why?"

"Because something bad happened - and you're old enough to understand that. So I'm going to tell you what happened - but you need to be a good girl and try your best to be brave about it." Violet nodded. Jade swallowed hard and blinked a few times, making sure she was in control of her tears.

"We've talked about my mom, right?"

"She's not nice," Violet said, her voice small.

"She's not," Jade agreed. "The police went to her house and they found out that she was doing a very bad thing." Violet's eyes were wide as she listened. Jade hugged her unexpectedly, her chin resting on her daughter's loose curls. She wished there was another option. The truth - even the watered-down version they were willing to tell Violet - was so painful - so unexplainable. Jade sighed and pulled back a bit, eyes focusing on Beck, sitting across the room, before shifting to look at her little girl.

"My mom and her friend - they were keeping a little girl in their house. They wouldn't let her go - and they weren't taking good care of her. They were hurting her." Violet looked confused. "So the police took her away from them - she needs a new family." Violet was silent. "She's a little older than you - but much smaller. They didn't feed her enough when she was growing, so she's very small."

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, baby girl," Jade said softly. "I wish I had a better answer for you. But some people are just bad people."

"Where is she going to live now?" Violet asked.

"Here," Jade told her, "with us."

"We're getting kind of crowded, mama," Violet told her dryly. Jade fought a laugh and shook her head.

"Kid-o, we always have room when someone need our help. I hope you'll like Lily. I think you will if you give her a chance. Can you do that, for me?" Violet nodded.

"Can I meet her?"

"Tomorrow," Jade promised.

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Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think. Favorite parts? Parts you didn't like? Do the character reactions seem realistic?


	5. Nature's Masterpiece

Thanks so much for reading - and for your reviews – when you spend so much time working on something, it's nice to know what others thing. So, please keep it up – review!

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Chapter 5 – Nature's Masterpiece

_The family is one of nature's masterpieces._

~George Santayana, _The Life of Reason_

When Jade arrived at the hospital the next morning, Tori went home to shower and change and take a nap. Sleeping in a tiny bed with Lily or in a recliner was not doing wonders for the quality of her sleep. Once she returned to the hospital that afternoon, Jade left to pick up Violet from school. As promised, she brought her for a visit.

Jade had tried to prepare Violet for meeting Lily. She need not have worried. Violet ran into the room, pounced on the bed, and wrapped her arms around the other little girl. "Hi," she said excitedly. "I'm Violet." Lily looked at her in utter shock, but she wasn't panicking or crying, so Jade and Tori stood back and watched. Violet ignored the lack of response she garnered. "Are you Lily?" The other girl nodded slightly. "I'm glad you're okay now. It's good my Mom and Dad and Aunt Tori found you - they're nice." She abruptly moved on. "Do you like books?" Violet didn't wait for an answer - she pulled _A Wrinkle in Time_ from her book bag, sidled onto the bed next to Lily, and started reading.

Within two pages, Lily was leaning against her, watching the words on the page as Violet read. It didn't take long to see that she liked stories – she liked being read to. Jade and Tori both relaxed and sat together on the loveseat in the corner of the room, observing silently. Their reading was interrupted when a nurse entered the room to check on Lily and change the dressings on her various abrasions. Violet kissed her on the cheek and cheerfully said "I'll see you tomorrow." Lily watched as she crossed the room to her mother. Jade smiled at Lily's bewildered expression and walked over to hug the child.

"I told you she wasn't shy," Jade reminded her. "And I told you not to worry - that she would love you. She already does. I love you too. I'll be back after dinner." Jade drove Violet home and Tori stayed with Lily, sitting with her as the nurse did her job.

Lily shed silent tears as the nurse carefully removed packing from the largest wound on her back. The doctor said it was probably skin that was ripped open by a beating with a metal-bristled hairbrush and then left to become infected. Lily was lucky she hadn't died from blood poisoning. Tori held her hand as the nurse worked.

"Almost done," she promised, her fingertips gently wiping away the tears that were flowing through Lily's dark eyelashes. When the nurse left, Tori gathered the child into her arms and let her cry. "It's going to be okay," she whispered softly. "Someday, it's going to be alright. I promise."

She was still holding Lily when Jade returned. The child had refused to eat dinner, even after the nurse told her that she would be put on a feeding tube if she didn't start eating more. Tori told the nurse to leave the tray and that she would work on getting Lily to eat. The nurse was lucky that Jade wasn't there; she didn't take kindly to threatening children. Tori didn't either – but she was more focused on Lily than chastising the nurse.

Lily still hadn't touched anything by the time Jade arrived. Tori looked up at her friend, eyes wet but expression stoic. She rubbed Lily's shoulder. "Lily, Jade is here. It's time to eat something." The child didn't move, but Tori gently turned her so she was sitting up in her lap. Jade removed her jacket and picked up the lid on the dinner tray. She wrinkled her nose.

"No wonder you haven't eaten," Jade told her. "I think I have something you'll like a little better." She pulled from her bag a thermal lunch box. Inside was a glass dish of homemade macaroni and cheese - still hot - laced through with peas, carrots, and tiny bits of broccoli. It had been the only way to get Violet to eat vegetables when she was in her terrible twos. Lily didn't say anything, but she opened her mouth when Jade brought a small fork full of the food to her. She ate half of the helping, along with drinking a full glass of milk. It would be enough to keep the doctor happy.

After she was finished eating, Tori washed her face and helped her to brush her teeth. That night, after Lily was sleeping, Tori walked toward the hall, indicating that Jade should follow. "I want her," Tori said, the moment they were outside the door.

Jade looked confused, surprised, then fell quickly into a calm expression. "You want to adopt Lily?" Tori nodded; Jade's expression darkened into one of concern. "Tori, she loves you - but this is so much responsibility-"

"Which I'm perfectly capable of handling. Who better to understand what she's gone through? Not that you don't - but you already have two daughters to take care of - and Cat - Cat's an entirely different issue. And it's not that you can't take care of her, but I want to - and I don't have any other commitments. And I think she needs more attention than you can give her - more attention than it's healthy for you to give her. You can't take on any more." Tori was rambling by that point and Jade smiled softly. Her hand moved to rest lightly on the other woman's shoulder.

"Tori, stop." She did. "I'm not going to fight you - if this is what you want, and you think you can handle it - I'm not going to argue. Lily would be lucky." Tori sighed in relief - she hadn't imagined it would be that easy. "It's not as though you'll be living elsewhere."

"I think-"

"No," Jade said sternly, walking back into the room before Tori could continue the conversation.

The next day, Dr. Jo lured both Jade and Tori away from the room. They eventually relented after the day nurse promised she wouldn't leave the small girl. They followed Dr. Jo to a small waiting room. The doctor closed the door and gestured for them to sit. She sat across from them, her hands folded calmly over what Jade knew to be Lily's file. It was thick - and it wasn't full of anything but bad news. Jade had read it through several times after the first ambush. Children's hospital kept electronic records, but the doctors still liked to have physical charts - and Jade had gotten her hands on it.

"Lily's going to need to stay here for another week, at least," Dr. Jo told them. "There are lingering infections - and if that wound on her back doesn't start to heal, we're going to have to call in a surgeon to do a skin graft." She was quiet for several minutes and looked at Tori, then Jade. "I know you're not going to like this suggestion - but I think she needs to go to a rehabilitation facility - at least for a little while."

"No," Jade said immediately.

"Please listen to my case before you ignore me completely and do whatever it is you want to do," the doctor said. Jade nodded, giving her space to speak. "Lily is behind in so much. She has few language skills - her growth is stunted - she's an emotional mess. She needs constant care and therapy. We have a rehabilitation floor here at the hospital - she can still have her own room. You can still stay with her as often as you'd like."

Eventually, despite their desire to argue, Tori and Jade both agreed that Lily should be moved to the rehabilitation floor instead of being discharged. Jade was the deciding factor since the social services department had named her as guardian, but she wasn't about to do anything that Tori disagreed with.

After that conversation, they didn't speak again about Tori's desire to adopt. It stayed on both their minds – but they were too tired to approach the topic.

Later that week, Tori told Jade, "I think I'll invite Andre for dinner Sunday and tell him to bring Jill. Ella offered to stay with Lily for the evening."

"You want to do that now?" Jade asked, eyebrow raised in surprise. Sure, it had been her idea for Tori to finally let Andre loose. But that was before Lily appeared. Now there were more serious and pressing matters to be dealt with on a daily basis.

"If we stop our lives because we're spending time in a hospital, we'd never get anything done."

"Fair enough," Jade responded before pursing her lips; it was upsetting that Tori had considered that phrase; and that it was true.

On Sunday, Violet was thrilled that everyone was home. She stood on a stool and "helped" Jade make dinner while Tori set the table. Coral sat in her highchair, playing happily with several blocks her mother had handed to her. Robbie arrived first and disappeared to the backyard to watch Cat play with the neighbor's dogs. He was still a constant presence in their lives, but he'd never truly forgiven Jade for what he felt was her part in keeping him away from his daughter and trying to keep him away from Cat. Tori watched them from the French doors in the kitchen until the doorbell rang. She ran to the front and answered it, finding Andre on the other side, holding hands with Jill.

"Come in," Tori said brightly, stepping aside. "It's so nice to see you again, Jill." Andre gave Tori a hug and she accepted it, but briefly. "Thanks for coming."

"Thank you for the invite," Jill answered. "I brought this," she said, holding up a bottle of wine. "Should I give it to you or Jade?" she asked hesitantly. Tori smiled. It was a valid confusion. She wasn't really the hostess – but in another sense, she was.

"Thank you," she answered. "I'll go take it to Jade. There are drinks and appetizers on the back deck." Andre showed Jill to the deck, walking her through the kitchen and stopping briefly to greet Violet and Jade.

Violet's face scrunched into a disapproving grimace – almost a scowl – as Tori appeared with the bottle of wine. "Why is she here?"

"Be nice," Tori told her. "Andre likes Jill – give her a chance."

"Best behavior," Jade warned her. Violet was coming into her own – and gaining an attitude befitting her mother's legacy. She pouted and disappeared into the back yard to find Cat – who was sure not to tell her to behave herself or be nice.

Dinner was awkward, at best. Andre didn't know why Jill had been invited. Jill was the only person in attendance who was not a long-term friend. The rest of them, despite their occasional disagreements or arguments, had become family. It was odd to have someone else at the table for a family dinner. Cat was being quieter than usual, so even her normally incessant chatter wasn't hiding the tension. It also didn't help that Tori was drinking and Jade wasn't. After Tori poured her third glass of wine, Beck silently removed the bottle from the table.

Jill looked apprehensively at Jade, who was drinking a glass of water, ignoring the bottle of wine she had brought. "I hope the wine was okay – Andre said you like white."

"It's great," Jade answered. "That's a nice bottle – thank you. I'm just not drinking right now." Eyes shot up from plates. There were few times when Jade gave up her nightly glass of wine. She smiled when she realized that Cat and Tori were both staring at her. "So much has been going on – I haven't had the chance to tell anyone but Beck – we're expecting again." Cat squealed happily. Tori smiled.

"Congratulations," Andre told her. Jill added the same sentiment.

"Thank you," Jade answered, ready to change the subject. The look of pain in Robbie's eyes was enough to hamper her excitement. "We should actually talk about Lily first – she's going to be moved to a different floor tomorrow morning – and then she'll be ready to come home in about four weeks – we're hoping sooner."

She went silent, waiting for Tori to speak – it was her opportunity to state her intentions. Beck knew what she was planning, but he and Jade were the only ones. "I'm adopting Lily," Tori said, her eyes fixed on a spot on the table – she knew she should have told Andre before this moment. He was going to be disappointed that she hadn't confided in him.

"That's a big step," Andre said, catching her gaze. She was right – he was hurt that she hadn't told him. "And what about your new record?"

"The tour is over – I have a few venues booked independently – but they're all local. I'll make it work."

"She'll be fine," Jade said.

"I didn't say she wouldn't be," Andre shot back. He was definitely hurt. "It's just a big responsibility after everything you've been through."

"I think the conversation has gone heavy enough," Jade said, her eyes glancing momentarily at Violet, who was taking in every word. Coral was quiet in her highchair between Beck and Jade – she had also caught on to the tension. "Tori has made her decision – and we're all here to help her – it will work out." Jade's words closed the conversation. Beck started another one.

"Jill, you work at Winchester?" She nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I'm the lead kindergarten teacher. Violet, are you starting first grade next week?"

Violet started to roll her eyes but her mother's stern look stopped her. "Third grade," the young girl corrected her.

"Wow," Jill answered, seeming impressed enough to make Violet happy. "Where do you go to school?"

"St. Anne's," Jade answered quickly. "The school wanted to move her up - it's worked well so far."

"No Hollywood Arts? You all met there, right?"

"Cat and I met in elementary school," Jade told her. "But the rest of us at HA, yes. Maybe after elementary. If she wants to, she can audition for middle school."

That night, after Andre drove Jill home, he returned to the Oliver home. Jade and Beck were busy putting Coral and Violet to bed. Tori and Cat were sitting in the living room, playing a card game. Cat was freakishly good at card games, so she was winning hands down.

He rang the doorbell and Tori answered, her expression revealing her surprise. "Did you forget something?"

"I'd like to talk to you," he said seriously.

"I'm playing a game with Cat," Tori said dismissively.

"I'm sure she can wait," he answered. Tori blinked and looked at him oddly, but finally turned around to head back into the living room. Cat was sitting at the coffee table waiting for her.

"Cat, can you go upstairs? I need to talk to Andre in private."

Cat looked ready to pout, but she saw stress in Tori's eyes, so she left without complaint. The brunette sat on the edge of one of the arm chairs and motioned for Andre to sit across from her. He did. "What is all this?" He asked immediately. "Why did you invite Jill over? Why are you adopting a kid? You haven't even gotten your own life back together."

Tori's eyes flashed with anger and indignation. "I have gotten my life together," she answered sharply. "I can do pretty much everything I could do before – except the one thing you're waiting for. And it's not going to happen."

"I don't mind waiting—"

"Having you waiting in the wings is not helpful," Tori informed him. "It's stressful – because I'm pretty sure it's never going to happen. I can't think about having an intimate relationship. And it's not fair to you – and it's going to hurt me more if you miss out on your chance to start a family. And Jill is nice – you obviously care about her. Don't ruin it because of me."

Andre's expression was a cross between pained and angry. "I want you."

"You can't have me," Tori told him softly. "I'm sorry – I don't want to hurt you – and I love you so much – but we're friends. That's all." Andre left without another word, slamming the front door behind him. Tori wanted to cry – but it didn't happen. She stared down at her hands, trying to will herself to move. That was how Jade found her; that was when the dam broke.

Tori told her between sobs what had happened and Jade held her, stoking her hair gently. "You did the right thing. He'll be okay. You'll be okay." This time, she meant it – she knew Tori would be fine without Andre. His hope that she would somehow get over her intimacy issues and come running to him was too much pressure. It had been weighing on the woman for years. And Andre would have to learn to live without the dream that he and Tori would be together one day. - and move on to someone else. Because he deserved to be happy.

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I'm sorry if I upset any Tandre fans out there. It's not that I don't like the relationship – it's just not what's going to work for this story. So, hopefully no one will hate me too much for this turn of events. Let me know what you think.

Do you think Tori should adopt Lily? Is she ready? Any favorite parts of the chapter? Thanks for reading – don't forget to review!


	6. A Form of Courage

100 reviews in 5 chapters? I think that's a record for me… you are all amazing. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks so much for your feedback so far. Here is the next part – happy reading!

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Chapter 6 – A Form of Courage

_Happiness is a form of courage. _

~Holbrook Jackson

The next week was hectic. School started for Violet and Lily was moved to the rehabilitation floor. Jade and Tori still took turns staying with her, ensuring that she was never alone. After speaking with Dr. Jo and Katie, Tori started working with Addie on the adoption process. It took her away for hours that Lily didn't appreciate. And it was difficult to explain to the little girl – they didn't think adoption was a process she needed to worry about at the moment. The stability of knowing that she was loved and cared for was their only real concern in that area.

When Lily returned from therapy on Wednesday in the early afternoon, Jade greeted her with a semi-apology. "I know you'd rather see Tori," Jade told her with a smile. "But she had an appointment – so she'll be back in a few hours." Lily didn't say anything, but she crawled into Jade's lap on the recliner instead of under the covers of her bed. She was slowly taking to her half-sister. There were still mornings when she woke and – if she saw Jade's face first – she panicked for a moment. But she always realized with fair speed that it was Jade – not Camilla.

The nurse smiled and handed Jade a blanket, which she pulled over the little girl. "I guess it's nap time?"

The nurse nodded. "Dr. Flaherty will be here in about two hours – then dinner will be served. So this is a good time to get in a nap. Just hit the button if you need anything."

Lily slept for the entire two hours – Jade had to gently wake her when her therapist arrived. Once she was awake, Jade excused herself and left the little girl with Katie.

The brunette walked into the closest private waiting room and saw that, as planned, Emily was waiting. "Thanks for coming here," Jade said, closing the door and sitting across from her in one of the (supposedly-ergonomic-but-really-uncomfortable) waiting room chairs. Emily smiled wryly.

"Thank you for single-handedly paying for my new kitchen." Her expression turned serious. "I'm kidding. But I am glad you called and asked me to come here instead of cancelling. You have a lot to deal with right now. How is that going?"

Jade shrugged as she considered the question. She shook her head. "I really haven't had time to take it all in. It's so horrible – it's beyond anything I ever imagined my mother would do – would allow. But it makes sense, at the same time. They needed someone to torture. I'm sure hurting one another only worked for them for so long."

"They're not going to get away with this again," Emily told her. "The police have overwhelming evidence – I did a profile for them – "

"They already got away with it," Jade told her. "And now there's so much to fix – so much to clean up. It's insurmountable."

Emily smiled softly. "It's not," she disagreed, her expression kind. "It's really not. You've dealt with things just this bad before. You know how she feels – you know how to help her. You just need to balance that with taking care of yourself." She paused and caught Jade's gaze. "You can do this."

Jade worked her rings around her fingers, playing with them absently. "Tori wants to adopt her." Emily nodded. It was her job not to be surprised – but she was a little. She didn't know Tori as well as she knew Jade – but she wasn't sure the former was ready for that kind of pressure or responsibility.

"What do you think about that?"

"I told her yes," Jade answered. "I'm pregnant again. I have two little girls who need my attention – and another child on the way. I barely get to see Beck as it is. Lily needs more time than I can give her. Tori still struggles – but she's stronger than she thinks she is."

"I'm not saying it's not a good idea," Emily started carefully. "But she needs to talk with Isabelle. She went through years of torture and captivity – the things Lily went through will trigger those memories. She needs to be very careful that she doesn't allow her own recovery to backslide while helping Lily."

Jade agreed; she had already told Tori as much. She had insisted her friend speak with Isabelle – it just hadn't happened yet. "Where will they live?"

"Our house," Jade said sharply. "There's plenty of room."

"Do you think you can handle giving Tori parental autonomy over Lily while being under the same roof?"

"I can only try my best," Jade answered. "But she is not moving out."

"Okay," Emily answered, backing away from the clearly-touchy issue. They talked for a bit longer – about the time Jade did spend with Beck – and how she could make the most of it. They spoke about Violet's reaction to Lily – and how Jade and Tori could support that burgeoning friendship without making them feel forced into it by living under the same roof.

Eventually, Emily had to leave – and Jade walked back to Lily's room. She peeked in the door – the little girl was playing a game with her therapist. It was something about emotions. Lily became overwhelmed easily – she had no idea how to classify and handle her emotions. She cried when she was happy, sad, terrified, tired, in pain – it all garnered the same reaction. It was something Katie was trying to help her figure out.

Jade stood in the doorway for a few minutes until Katie told Lily it was time for her to go – and praised her, gushing about what a wonderful job she'd done. Apparently she'd actually spoken to the psychologist in several full sentences. It was progress.

By the time dinner arrived, so had Tori. Jade kissed Lily goodbye and went home to spend the evening with her family. She squeezed Tori's hand on the way out the door. Tori greeted Lily with a hug and a kiss and asked her what she did that day. Slowly, Lily answered. There was little expression in her voice – she still didn't allow herself to have any opinion about what was happening to her; but they were working on it. Katie had told Tori and Jade how to coax things out of her – how to help her realize how she was feeling without crushing her with the emotions.

"I went to physical therapy," she said softly.

"Did you do anything fun?" Lily didn't understand that question. "Was there anything that made you happy?" Another question that stumped her. "Did you like something about today?"

Finally, something she understood and could respond to. She smiled the tiniest bit. "I went swimming." Tori smiled. "You liked swimming?" Lily nodded. "When you like something – and it makes you smile – that's called happy." Lily smiled again; she got it. Tori hugged her and pulled her gently onto her lap.

"What other things make you smile?"

"Hugs from you," Lily answered quietly.

"Thank you," Tori answered gently. "Hugging you makes me happy too. What else?" They spent twenty minutes making a list of things that made Lily happy. It was a fun conversation, but Tori's heart broke at the same time; everything on the list had happened only in the time the child had been in the hospital. For the first time in her life, she was safe enough to feel things that made her smile – it was a good thing – but it was also distressing that she'd never before had the occasion to do so.

The first Friday after Lily was in rehabilitation full time, Ella took Violet to spend the afternoon with the little girl, giving Tori and Jade much-needed time off. It wasn't a stress-free afternoon. Jade sat in the kitchen, looking angrily at the computer screen Tori had placed in front of her. She was silent.

"Jade, the house is next door," Tori said finally. Somehow, the neighbors had put their house up for sale two days before Tori called a realtor. There wasn't even a sign up yet. Jade did not find that to be an amazing coincidence – she found it annoying.

"I don't care. It's unnecessary."

"How am I supposed to teach Lily to be self-reliant if I can't be?"

"No."

"You can't just say no," Tori answered.

"I just did," Jade answered with a raised eyebrow. "If you want more room - we can build more. There's structural support for a fourth floor – and there's plenty of room to knock down walls on the third floor."

"That's not the point."

"You're not moving." Beck had been walking in the door, heard that line, and tried to escape without being seen. Jade saw him turning around. "Get in here, you coward," she said, addressing her husband. "Tell Tori that she can't leave."

Beck looked uncomfortably between his wife and one of his oldest friends. He ran his hands through his hair and thought out his options before answering. "Jade, it's up to her. If this is what Tori thinks is best, then there is nothing we can do about it."

"The hell there isn't," Jade answered, indignant. Her eyes shone with absolute panic as she looked back at Tori. "I'll have your accounts frozen in ninety seconds."

"No you won't," Beck and Tori echoed one another. Jade sighed; she wouldn't. That would be wrong. But so was leaving a perfectly comfortable home - just to prove a point. She said as much and Tori sighed.

"The house is next door," Tori told her. "At least come and look."

Twenty minutes later, the realtor had arrived and let them in the front door. Jade frowned when she turned to look at the alarm. "It's outdated," she said, pointing to the box.

"Mrs. West, it can be updated as part of the buying terms," the realtor said enthusiastically. Beck shook his head at the woman.

"Don't bother trying to placate her - she's not going to be happy no matter what. It's Tori you need to sell it to," he said, indicating the other brunette. The woman looked a bit rattled at his odd comment and situation but Tori smiled widely and gestured for the woman to show them around. She did. The house was beautiful. The first floor had tall ceilings. There was an updated kitchen, a full formal dining room, and a living room that rivaled the size of Jade's own.

According to Jade, the living room was drafty and didn't have enough exposure to sunlight, the kitchen did not have enough storage space, and the stairs to the basement were treacherous. The second and third floors each held three bedrooms and three bathrooms. There was plenty of room for whatever Tori wanted to do - and whatever Lily needed. Despite what Jade said, the rooms were bright and airy and the layout was simple but elegant. It was built by the same architects that had created the Oliver home, so it was similar in many aspects.

The previous owners had not spent much time outside, so there was no deck or porch or veranda - something Tori would have liked. But outdoor living space was an easy add-on. There was no pool, but Jade and Beck had one next door - and a gate could easily be installed between their back yards. Jade made a face when Tori suggested it.

"That wouldn't even be necessary if-"

"Jade, please look at his seriously - please." After being guilted into it, Jade admitted the house could work - but she begrudgingly added that it needed a lot of updating - especially the bathrooms and the security system. And that if Tori insisted on this, they would need to redo the backyard fence and the driveways so that it was easier to get from one house to the other.

Later that night, Jade knocked on Tori's bedroom door and waited for permission to enter. "Come in!" She walked into the room to find Tori sitting in one of her arm chairs, flipping through a home improvement catalog. She was looking at bathroom fixtures. She set aside the catalog when Jade entered, two cups of tea in hand.

Tori cocked her head to the side, waiting patiently for the arguments she knew were coming. Jade handed her a steaming cup and sat in the chair next to her, observing the catalog. "The crystal levers are pretty – they will look new longer than the stainless."

"I thought you didn't agree with this."

"I don't. It doesn't mean you should buy ugly bathroom fixtures." Jade sipped her tea and then set the cup aside, her attention fully on Tori. "Why do you want to move out?"

"It's time. If I'm going to adopt Lily, I need to prove that I can be self-sufficient."

"If Lily were not in the equation, would you be considering this move?"

"She is in the equation."

"That doesn't answer my question," Jade said simply. "If you wouldn't be doing it without her, then you're not doing it for yourself. And if you're not doing it for yourself, you're not ready."

"Jade – "

"All I ask is that you talk to Isabelle – and you consider what I just said. If you can honestly say you are ready for this – and you're doing it all for you – then I'll support you all the way. But if you're doing it to prove a point – it's going to end up a disaster. And I can't allow that."

"Jade – "

"Just think about it. I'm taking Violet back to see Lily tomorrow – take the morning and spend it on your own – think about what moving out really means – about all of the ins and outs of every day. Consider it all. Please."

Tori nodded. She had spent a lot of time thinking it through already – but if agreeing to think about it for one more day would pacify Jade, then she would do it.

Jade finished her tea and stood, walking to the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned back to her friend of many years. "And Tori?" Tori looked up, eyes focused on the other brunette. "If this has anything to do with pride, knock it off." The woman rolled her eyes and went back to perusing her catalog, her mind still swimming with all that Jade had said.

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Please take a moment to review. Any favorite parts? Thoughts? Critiques? Let me know.


	7. Butterflies

I can't apologize enough for taking so long. I've been struggling these past few months – just having a generally crappy time. And although I want to be writing – I haven't been. But I'm trying to get back into it – I do love these stories and I am determined to finish this one. Thanks to all who have loyally been reading – and I'm sorry to have made you wait so long. Here is the next chapter – please share your thoughts.

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Chapter 7 – Butterflies

_"If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies." _

~Author Unknown

If Violet had her way, she would visit Lily daily. But, she had school. And her parents continued to insist that she go, even though she usually knew everything the teachers were teaching. Sure, it was better than it had been the year before, but she still spent more time bored than engaged. So, she'd begun to make up her own fun. She practiced doing her work with her left hand – and she finished before the rest of the class. But still, she would have rather been spending time with her new friend – and project – Lily.

Violet was determined that the smaller girl was going to start talking to her just like Maria and Faith did. And Faith had been a hard shell to crack – she was shy. Lily didn't seem to mind Violet's plans. On Saturday, after physical therapy, Jade took them up to the roof garden. Lily was allowed to walk now, and leave her room without her IV. The nurse plugged her IV and she could just go. She liked it better that way. Also, on the rehabilitation floor, she was allowed to wear normal clothes. Jade and Tori had gone on quite a shopping spree. That Saturday, Lily wore a tiny pair of jeans and a blue and white striped shirt. She had a matching blue flowered headband in her hair. She almost looked normal. And she looked eerily like Violet.

Violet questioned the blue flowered headband; she was certain she didn't have a blue flowered headband. But she was smart enough to know that this was not the forum in which to demand one; her mother wouldn't take it well. So, she simply hugged Lily upon seeing her and started talking about the fun they were going to have that day. Lily smiled. Fun equaled smiling equaled happy. She was learning.

While the two little girls spent the day together with Jade and Beck took Coral to his mother's house for a day of grandma-granddaughter bonding, Tori was left to her own devices. She met the relator at the house next door and walked through it again, slowly, trying to picture it as hers. In some ways, it was so easy to imagine. In other ways, it left an empty, aching feeling in her stomach.

Before lunch, she drove herself to an appointment she'd made with Isabelle and greeted the woman for the first time in several weeks. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me." The therapist said as she stepped aside and allowed Tori into the room.

"The last few weeks have been rough," Tori answered apologetically. "Thanks for seeing me today. I know you try not to have Saturday appointments." It was true, but she did make emergency appointments on occasion – and when Tori left her a message about her plans – Isabelle decided it constituted an emergency.

"It's no problem," Isabelle promised. "Tell me what's going on." Sitting on the sofa and pulling a pillow into her lap, Tori started in on the story of Lily's rescue. The therapist was quiet and allowed Tori to talk. The brunette ended her tirade by talking about how she wanted to adopt Lily. There was silence as Isabelle considered the situation.

Tori pursed her lips as she assessed her therapist. "You don't think I can do it?"

"I'm certain you can," Isabelle told her. "But I don't know that you need to leave your home to do it."

"I love Jade," Tori said. "But I know her – and she won't give me any space to do this – it will be like she's taking in another child. And she really doesn't need that right now."

"I think Jade deserves more credit," Isabelle responded. "She's given you a lot of trust and responsibility over the years. Most heterosexual women could not manage to share their lives the way that you and Jade do – sharing household and childcare responsibilities without much fuss."

She paused and looked Tori directly in the eye. "It might take a bit of getting used to – and I'm sure there will be bumps – but if you aren't 100% ready to leave, then don't leave. You can raise Lily as well as – if not better than – if you moved out."

Tori looked torn – she didn't want to leave Jade's house – but she felt ridiculous that she had become so comfortable. She was supposed to have her own life – isn't that what grownups did? And how could she truly adopt Lilly if she couldn't handle moving into and taking care of her own place?

She told Isabelle these fears and the older woman chided her. "No one who truly loves you thinks any less of you because you live with Jade and Beck. You know that. Any anyone outside of that group – they don't matter."

"But do you think I can do it?"

"Do what?"

"Live on my own, with Lily."

"Yes," Isabelle said without a moment's hesitation. "Lily's recovery is going to cause you pain – there's no doubt in that. But if you're determined to do that and you work at it, you'll be fine. But it's not going to be easy – none of this is."

By the time Tori left Isabelle's office, she had made up her mind. She knew what it meant – and it terrified her. But she needed to trust herself – and sometimes jumping into the deep end was the best way to rejuvenate your swimming skills. Moving forward was only made possible by her brain's refusing to recognize that drowning was always a danger.

That night, after all of the children were in bed, Tori approached Jade and Beck as they sat in the living room, curled up together and watching The Scissoring for the millionth time. Tori couldn't stand the movie – but Jade loved it. Beck stopped the film when he saw her enter the room and Jade sat up, her attention undivided. Tori sat on a chair near the sofa, perching on the edge uneasily. She knew the only way to get the upper hand in the conversation was to start it – and to do so decisively.

"I know you don't want me to do this – but I think it's the right thing. I think there's a reason this happened now – a reason Lily was discovered – a reason that house went on the market. And I know I can do this."

"Okay," Jade answered, unquestioningly. She leaned against Beck again, looking rather tired.

Tori looked at her suspiciously. She had expected arguments – perhaps even yelling. Jade didn't yell like she had in high school – but everyone still stopped dead when she raised her voice.

The lighter-haired brunette shrugged and answered Tori's unspoken confusion. "When all is said and done – it's your decision. It always has been. We'll help as much as we can." Beck nodded his agreement, his arms moving to once more wrap around his wife, his gentle touch an assurance that he was happy with his wife's reaction to Tori's news.

"Thank you," Tori said, relieved. She believed it was the right thing to do – but she wasn't sure she could fight Beck and Jade.

The next morning, Tori called Addie. The lawyer – who was already working on the adoption, immediately began the process that would allow Tori to purchase the house. She put in an offer that was accepted in just days. It helped when you could pay cash. Jade had refused to allow her to pay for much over the years – and she had insisted that Tori invest what Trina had given her – so Tori had a lot of money to work with.

Paint colors, refinished floors, furniture, artwork, musical instruments – it was all a whirlwind. Within a few weeks, the house was ready to be moved into. She visited Lily daily, had her own therapy sessions, and spent the rest of her time working out the details of the move. Beck interviewed contractors and she hired his first choice. They began work immediately on a beautiful redwood deck. Another crew set to work on the driveways – Jade wanted them connected. By the time Lily's doctors started to talk about her being able to go home, there was a gate in the fence between the two houses, the deck was stained and finished, and the driveways were joined.

Tori hired movers to take her parents' things from Jade's attic to the new house. Once the living room furniture was in place, she stood back and stared. The house was different – but the furniture so familiar. She didn't put it all out – but she loved those purple sofas. She accented them with new pieces. One morning, she had taken her computer to Lily and allowed the child to choose her own bedroom furniture.

Thanks to the help of all of her friends – and lots of money thrown into the mix - the night before Lily was set to be released from the hospital, everything was ready. Tori stood in the doorway to her bedroom and looked around at the space, decorated in pretty shades of navy, turquoise, and lime. Jade walked up behind her, observing her for a moment before speaking.

"Groceries are put away – Beck finished building the dining room furniture – it's beautiful." They had come over to help with the finishing touches while the girls were both in bed and Cat and Robbie were watching movies in the living room.

Tori smiled. The furniture in the dining room had belonged to her grandmother. It had been in storage – first at her mother's house – then at Jade's house – for probably thirty years. She stepped back, looking at Jade. "Do you want to come with me tomorrow?"

"No, you go," Jade answered. "I'll make dinner later in the day – we can eat here."

Tori agreed. They walked together to the dining room, where Beck was polishing the table he had just rebuilt. Tori's smile brightened – she loved the furniture. Before long, it was time for Beck and Jade to leave – this was the first night she was sleeping there.

"Are you sure?" Jade asked, one more time. She had offered to stay – she had offered to bring Cat over.

"I'm sure," Tori answered. She followed them to the front door, pushing Jade a bit as she slowed.

"Lock this behind us," Beck told her.

"I know to lock the door," Tori chided him.

"And set the alarm," Jade added, offering her friend a final hug. Tori returned it and then opened the door and pointed out.

"I will. Good night." She inched them both out of the door and closed it, locking it and then moving to turn on the alarm. She knew her friends were not going to leave until they heard the tell-tale sounds.

Within minutes, she began to question her sanity. The house was huge – and it has a lot of rooms and corners. Quickly, she turned out the lights on the first floor and walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She locked the bedroom door too, just in case. She was in bed far too early – just because she was feeling a bit out of sorts. But exhaustion had settled over her and she was out quickly and no longer worried about being alone in the large home.

Thanks to her early bedtime the night before, Tori was at the hospital the next morning before Lily woke. The little girl's eyes opened and she smiled when she saw the brunette sitting in a chair beside her bed.

"Good morning," Tori said with a bright smile.

"Good morning," Lily answered, crawling out from under the covers and into Tori's lap. The older woman held her for several minutes, talking to her as she woke. Breakfast arrived soon after and Tori sat with the child on the bed as she ate.

"You get to leave today. You're coming home with me, is that still okay?" Lilly nodded. She would have agreed to just about anything that did not include going back to Camilla, but going with Tori was actually something she was excited about. Tori had already packed most of Lily's things, so it didn't take long after she ate to get her ready to go and signed out by her doctors.

Katie walked with them to Tori's car and gave Lily a hug. "You have a fun time with Tori today, okay?" Lily nodded. "I'll come visit you next week if that's okay." Another nod.

Tori pulled into the driveway of the house and parked at the front door. Helping Lily out of the booster seat, she held her hand as she unlocked the door and disengaged the alarm. The little girl stared at her surroundings, clutching the older woman's hand as she took in everything. She was used to large houses, but Tori hoped this one was much brighter than the one she'd grown up in. Lily seemed to think it was.

"What do you think?"

"So pretty," Lily said softly. Tori smiled and released her hand.

"Go ahead and look around." She followed the little girl as she walked through each room, more mesmerized with each additional bright pattern or glisteningly clean surface. At that time of day, the living room was flooded with sunlight.

Lily ran her hand across the fabric of one of the purple drapes and then hid behind the panel. Tori laughed. "So, now I know where to look when I can't find you." Lily giggled in response and crept along the wall, moving from one window to the next. Eventually, she came out from behind the curtains and stood before the gleaming rosewood grant piano that Tori had learned to play on. It had been in storage since Trina had sold the house – and it had taken the professional piano tuner a full day and a half to get everything just right. But now it was ready to go – and looked beautiful below the large living room windows. Lily skirted it, wanting – but not quite willing – to touch it.

It took them almost an hour to see the main floor and Tori was dying of anticipation – she finally ended the tour and took Lily straight to her bedroom to see what the little girl thought. Lily had chosen white furniture and pink and yellow bedding. The reality was magical – and the child was in love.

The first evening that Lily was home, they staged a small welcome-home party. Jade made homemade pizza, a big salad, and a beautiful cake for dessert. Violet and Lily sat next to one another at the table, across from Beck and Cat. Jade and Tori sat at either end of the antique wooden table.

Violet was not thrilled that Tori had moved out – Jade had found her several times in the empty bedroom, staring at the surfaces and walls that had recently been cluttered with Tori's possessions. She understood the move had something to do with Lily. Several different times, she'd brought the subject up to her mother and asked her why Lily and Tori couldn't continue living in their house. Jade told her that it was what Tori wanted to do – and she was only just right next door. Violet wasn't happy – but she accepted her mother's words of finality.

Cat was another situation. She was devastated by Tori's move – and she told both of her best friends about her devastation as often as possible. She was on her best behavior during Lily's homecoming – but only because Jade had threatened her. Strongly threatened her.

A week later, they had fallen into a pattern of sorts. The Oliver household had taken time to figure out the morning routine without Tori's assistance – but eventually Jade gained control over everything and things were again running smoothly. Tori found mornings to be terribly quiet with just her and Lily – but she tried to make the most of it – creating their own habits.

They still ate dinner together on a daily basis – Jade and Tori had split days between them and they took turns cooking and hosting the evening meal. They were eating at Tori's house on the second Thursday since Lily's homecoming when a phone call came in. Tori uncharacteristically took the call and walked into her living room to take it without disturbing dinner.

When she returned to the table, Jade and Beck looked at her expectantly. "Don't get angry," Tori told them warningly. "That was Trina. She's coming to visit."

"No!" Jade cried – as though it somehow fell under her jurisdiction. She hadn't even been able to stop Trina's visits when Tori had lived with them.

"She'll be here tomorrow morning. I expect you to be nice."

"I don't know why you keep letter her do this – popping back and forth – "

"She's my sister," Tori told her, tone and temper ending the conversation. Beck changed the subject by asking Violet about school – that started them in on a half an hour lecture on what had happened in the tiny child's world that day.

That night, after all of the kids were in bed – Tori was not surprised to find Jade in her kitchen, making a pot of tea. "Do I need to take your key away while Trina is here?"

"Like I don't have copies already," Jade told her with a scoff. "You underestimate me."

"I'll change the locks, Jade – don't try me." Tori took a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table, waiting for the other woman to join her. "I know you don't like Trina. She's not nice, she'd not considerate – but she does love me. And she's my only living relative. I can't just push her away."

Jade rolled her eyes. "I think you're underestimating your power as an adult – you can tell her no." She saw the anger in Tori's expression and changed her tactic. Her voice softened. "I just worry about you. You deserve better than Trina."

"I have better than Trina," Tori told her, reaching over to lay her hand on Jade's. "But it doesn't change the fact that I don't want to cut her out of my life. And I need you to accept that – it would make these visits a lot easier."

"I'll try," Jade said begrudgingly.

"Thank you." Tori sipped from her tea. "How's everything with the baby?

"The morning sickness seems to hit with fervor at 3 in the morning. It's interfering with Beck's beauty sleep."

Tori smiled. "I'm sure he doesn't mind." Jade shook her head; he didn't. He was giddy at the prospect of having another child. She knew in her gut that it was another girl - something she hadn't mentioned to anyone yet. And despite the teasing her received about being outnumbered - she knew Beck would be more than okay with those numbers.


	8. Love For You

Chapter 8 – Love For You

"A hundred hearts would be too few  
To carry all my love for you."  
~Author Unknown

Tori had spent all day trying to prepare Lily for Trina's visit. The older Vega was loud and intrusive… and she hoped the child was ready for that kind of personality. Trina hired a Taxi to bring her from the airport and arrived at the house late in the morning.

Tori hugged her sister and welcomed her into the house. "Wow," Trina said in surprise. She walked into the living room and looked around. "You still have mom's couches?"

"I always liked them," Tori answered with a shrug. She smiled and lifted Lily into her arms. "Trina, this is Lily – my daughter. Lily, this is Trina – my sister. You can call her Aunt Trina."

"That doesn't in any way age me, does it?" Trina asked, not actually acknowledging the child.

"No," Tori responded irritably.

"Alright," Trina answered breezily. "So, show me around. I still can't believe you moved out of Jade's house – I didn't think that would ever happen."

Tori sighed and shook her head. "She talks a lot," she finally whispered to Lily. The child smiled uncomfortably and snuggled against her adoptive mother. Tori spent the next hour showing her sister around the house. Trina had something to say about everything.

"I didn't know lime and navy could actually look good together." And "Isn't that my scarf?" And "I forgot mom had these – do you really want them?" Tori ignored the negative things, thanked her for the positive things, and kept moving. In all seriousness, Trina was impressed by her little sister's home – and the life she had built. The recovery she had gone through in the past few years were nothing short of amazing. But, with Trina, being impressed walked hand-in-hand with being jealous – so, her rude comments quickly started to outnumber her kind comments.

Trina had been screeching and talking and blabbering for over an hour. Lily watched in a mixture of confusion and terror – and was thankful the older brunette chose not to acknowledge her at all. When Tori excused herself to make a pot of coffee, Lily followed her to the kitchen. "Can I go to see Violet?" Her voice was timid and shy; she was only just getting used to asking for things directly. She rarely did it; so the fact that she was asking gave credence to how desperate she was. Tori looked down and saw that the little girl's eyes were wide in concern.

She knelt down so that their eyes met. "I know that Trina is really – loud," Tori said, finally deciding on a non-offensive adjective. "But she's okay – she's not going to hurt you."

"I know."

"But you still need a break?" Lily nodded emphatically. She was learning several dramatic things – like emphatic nodding – from Violet.

Tori hugged her. "Okay. Go ahead over. Have Jade text me." Lily scurried out the back door and less than two minutes later, Tori's phone beeped – Jade letting her know that the child had arrived. Violet was still at her violin lesson, so Lily sat at the kitchen island and watched Jade's preparations for dinner. Jade tried to engage her in conversation, but she remained quiet, catching her breath and watching the older woman's perfect, succinct movements as she chopped vegetables and measured ingredients.

After a few minutes of silence, Jade handed her a container of strawberries and the corer and Lily set to work. "So, you met Trina?" Lily nodded. Jade studied her carefully. "Are you okay?"

"She's loud," Lily said finally, taking time to decide if there was a better way to describe her feelings about Trina. There was nothing else she could say without hurting Tori's feelings, so she went with Tori's chosen adjective.

"That's a nice way to put it," Jade answered sarcastically. "Trina is hard to deal with. But she's only here for a few days – don't worry too much." Lily looked away, studying the box of pasta intently. Jade's eyes narrowed but she kept her voice even. "What do you know?"

"Tori said she could stay," Lily answered softly.

"For how long?" Jade asked, trying to keep her anger under wraps.

"I don't know," Lily answered in a whisper. Tori had said Trina could stay as long as he wanted; that sound like a long time to Lily. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears; she had just gained Tori in her life – she wasn't ready to share her – and she wasn't prepared for another big change. She tried to explain these things to Jade – but she didn't know all of the words – or all of the emotions. She just knew that her heart hurt and she was anxious.

"Try not to worry," Jade repeated, hiding her own concern after listening to Lily's messy and confused litany of fears. "I'm sure it's just a few days." She saw that her words caused the child no semblance of peace. She put a lid on the sauce she had been working on and slid it into the refrigerator. Making sure all the kitchen appliances were turned off and the strawberries were put back into the fridge, Jade offered her hand to Lily. "Come on, let's go check on Coral. Okay?" Lily took Jade's hand, allowing her to help her down from the counter-height stool. Upstairs, they looked in on Coral – the baby was still sleeping in her crib. Jade chose a book from the shelf and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her – Lily crawled up next to her and they both laid down – the little girl in Jade's arms – and read the first few chapters of _Ella Enchanted_.

By the time they reached chapter five, Lily had fallen asleep. Jade had a feeling the child had been a bundle of nerves all day, waiting for the visitor Tori had tried to prepare her for; she greatly needed sleep. When Beck arrived home with Violet, he found all three of them sleeping – Jade included.

Violet watched with an air of irritation as he pulled a blanket over his wife and Lily, lifted Coral from the crib since she would be waking soon, and walked back down to the kitchen to figure out how to plan dinner. She stayed by his side, asking insistent questions about why she wasn't allowed to wake Jade (she had tried when they'd first walked in the room and Beck had spoken rather harshly to her, in her opinion) - and why was Lily here, instead of with Tori?

"Vi, Lily is allowed to spend time with your mom. Just like you're allowed to spend time with Tori. Got it?" Beck was too busy taking in the remnants of dinner preparation to think too deeply about Violet. Jade had left dinner in the middle of being made – and he knew they were having Tori, Trina, Robbie, and Andre over for the meal. He needed to do something.

Violet scowled at his answer and his dismissiveness but said nothing else. "Can you help me with dinner? What should we order?" In the end, he ordered from a nearby Italian place and had it delivered.

Beck set the table for eight and set Coral's high chair next to his place. Violet helped, telling him all the things he was doing wrong and making sure he set it correctly. Tori and Trina arrived half an hour later.

"Where's Lily? And Jade?" Tori stayed in the kitchen to speak with him while Trina wandered into the living room.

"Sleeping," Beck told her. "I found them sleeping when I got home – in Coral's room. But it's almost time for dinner – so you can wake them up if you want." Tori walked up the stairs and crept into the room. Lily's eyes popped open as soon as Tori entered. The older woman smiled and leaned close to kiss her cheek.

"Feel better?" Lily nodded and Tori shook Jade's shoulder lightly, waking her. Jade sat up quickly, startled, and her heart raced for a moment until she remembered where she was.

"I can't believe I fell asleep."

"You must have needed it," Tori told her. "Thanks for watching Lily. Beck ordered dinner – it should be here soon. Everyone is here."

Jade sat up and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten the mess it had become during her nap. She looked down at Lily, who was sitting next to her. "Are you okay?" The little girl nodded solemnly. "Okay. I'm going to get ready for dinner. You tell Tori what's bothering you, promise?" Another nod.

Once Jade was gone, Tori sat against the headboard and pulled Lily into her lap, hugging her close. "What is she talking about, sweetie?"

Lily told Tori about her fears – she told her that she was afraid of Trina – and that she was afraid that Trina wasn't going to go away – and that she was afraid to lose Tori. It all came out in a gush of tears and words and when she was finished, she felt much better.

"I am never going to leave you," Tori promised her. "Never. You're stuck with me now, okay?" Lily nodded, hiding her face against Tori's chest as the tears continued to fall. After half an hour or so, Tori was able to calm her fears and dry her tears. They walked down to the kitchen to find that Jade, looking much more fresh and awake, was moving the food to serving dishes.

"Now we just have to wash all of our serving dishes," Beck told her in confusion. "They came in serving dishes already."

"What is this we crap?" Jade asked him. "And if you think I'm putting aluminum foil serving dishes on my table, you don't know me at all." Tori smiled and stole a carrot from one of the dishes, breaking it in half and handing a piece to Lily. They both munched on it as they watched Jade and Beck finish transferring the food.

Tori carried the salad and Lily the rolls; Jade and Beck followed them with plates of pasta and sauce and meatballs. They sat down and started to pass around the meal, everyone seemingly talking at once as they prepared to eat.

Halfway through the meal, the elephant in the room was finally addressed. Quite unkindly, but still – it was finally mentioned. "So, Trina, when are you leaving?" Jade asked, her voice positive and upbeat – her meaning falling solidly in the category of rude. Beck gave her a look of displeasure but she ignored him, her smile widening. Trina glared slightly.

"I just arrived Jade, don't get your panties in a twist."

"What does that mean?" Violet asked curiously.

"Ignore anything that Trina says," Jade told her, before anyone else could respond. Trina made a face and stuck her tongue out at Jade. The other woman smirked; Trina always did prove to be the less mature one, no matter how low Jade decided to take things.

"Let's not talk about this," Tori interrupted, her voice stern. "Cat, how was work today? Tell everyone what you did." Most of the other adults at the table bit back groans as Cat leapt into a play-by-play description of the film she was working on. Tori smiled and nodded, listening as she ate her meal. No one interrupted her until she mentioned her brother, at which time Jade called an end to the story telling and moved on, asking Andre about his work.

After dinner, they moved into the living room where most of the adults broke into pockets of conversation while Cat tried to interest Violet and Lily in a puzzle. Violet refused to move from Jade's side and Lily was happy to watch Cat build a puzzle, but she would not participate.

"Did I really need to know how many costume changes Cat went through today?" Andre asked Tori as she walked from the kitchen, a glass of wine in hand. "Really, I mean – have I done something lately that I deserve to be punished for?"

"I had to stop Jade and Trina. Just be thankful I didn't ask her to tell us the plot of the latest Disney movie."

"Thank you for small miracles," Andre answered. "How are you holding up, with the new house and Lily? And now having Trina in town?"

"I'm okay," Tori promised. "Lily has been great. She's still not sure of a lot of things – but she's working really hard – and getting better every day. But we could have both gone a few more months without a visit from Trina."

"Can't blame you for that," he answered. He looked around the room to find that Trina was talking to Robbie, paying them no attention at all. "Listen, Tori. I think it's a little too convenient. You get a house – your sister comes to visit. If I were you, I'd be keeping an eye on how long she stays. Because I have a feeling from that has nowhere else to be."

"Andre—"

He continued, knowing she was too kind to think about the possibility that was on everyone else's mind. "I know she's your sister. But she's never done anything but cause you grief. So you either need to get comfortable with the idea of kicking her ass to the curb, or you need to unleash Jade. Because you don't need Trina messing up what you've worked for." Tori leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I'll be okay."

"Never said you wouldn't be," he answered, shaking his head proudly. "You're pretty amazing, Tori Vega." Her heart swelled; this was the first deep conversation they'd had since she'd completely rejected him; she was thrilled to have her friend back.

"You're not so bad yourself, Andre Harris." She hugged him and walked over to the sofa, sliding to floor in front of it to sit next to Lily. "Why aren't you playing, Lily?" The little girl shrugged. She crawled into Tori's lap and made herself comfortable, curling into the older woman's arms.

Andre sat at Jade's grand piano and began playing, causing smiles to erupt across the room. They spent the remainder of the evening listening to Andre and Jade take turns at the piano, outplaying one another at every turn. They were so evenly matched that no one ever beat the other one – but they had fun trying.

That night, Beck attempted to put Violet and Coral to bed while Jade continued to entertain their guests; that didn't work out with his eldest daughter. "I want Mama."

"She'll come say goodnight," he promised.

"No," Violet answered, arms crossed tightly against her chest, "I want her now."

"Violet, come on. It's been a long day. Change into your pajamas and we'll read a book-" Violet shook her head, plopping onto the carpeted floor, back to Beck, arms still crossed. He had no idea what to do. He considered physically picking her up and putting her in her pajamas, but she was too old for that.

Jade was surprised when he came to find her several minutes later and told her what had happened; Violet didn't normally give them trouble at bedtime. She walked up the stairs and into her eldest daughter's bedroom, where the child was still pouting in the middle of her floor. Jade stood above her, peering cautiously at the little girl. "What is going on?"

"I don't want to go to bed."

"Bedtime is not a negotiation," Jade told her firmly. She pulled a pair of pajamas from a nearby dresser drawer and laid them on the bed. "Pajamas, now."

"No," Violet answered. Jade's eyes widened and it took quite a bit of willpower for the little girl to remain obstinate despite that look. It worked for several moments, but Jade was much better at holding a frightening gaze. The older woman simply stared at her daughter until the child's stubbornness dissipated and she grabbed the pajamas and pounded angrily into the bathroom.

Jade watched in confusion as she disappeared. Kicking off her shoes, she lay down on Violet's bed, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. She'd never in her life had an argument with her daughter - not one problem once the child moved beyond the infant/ toddler state that defied rational thinking. As soon as she could explain things to Violet, she'd been such a good child - always behaving, always doing what was asked. Where in the hell had this little scene come from?

Violet was embarrassed and angry and took extra-long to wash her face and brush her teeth. She was hoping against hope that her mother would have left out of pure anger and she wouldn't have to deal with the repercussions of her attitude until the morning. No such luck. As she left the bathroom, she saw that her mother was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Jade picked up the covers when she heard Violet, pulling them back. The little girl obediently crawled under them, saying nothing. Jade was quiet too, while she tried to decide the best course of action. She was angry - she'd never been defied by her daughter before. But she knew what anger could do to a person - what it could make them do. So she waited to speak until she felt calm enough to be rational.

"I need you to tell me what is going on. Why are you being difficult tonight?"

"I don't want to go to bed," Violet said in a pout.

"That's not what I asked," Jade responded. "What is wrong?" There was silence between them for a long time and Jade peeked once to make sure the young girl hadn't fallen asleep. Finally, Violet spoke – and it was nothing her mother expected.

"Do you like Lily better than me?" Jade flipped to her side, staring strangely at her first born.

"Why would you even ask that?"

"She already took Aunt Tori, and now she's taking you," Violet said, tears seeping into her voice and overflowing from her eyes. Jade's expression was still one of confusion and uncertainty, but she could see that Violet was in pain, so she pulled her arms around the child and hugged her close.

"My beautiful baby girl, Lily hasn't taken Aunt Tori away from you. And she's certainly not taking me anywhere." She paused and tried to imagine how things looked from Violet's prospective. "I know Aunt Tori and I spent a lot of time with Lily while she was in the hospital – but you have to understand – she needed us. And I knew you were safe. Lily wasn't. She's never had an adult in her life to take care of her and make sure she was safe. She needs to know that we all love her. I know you love her, Vi."

Violet didn't answers. She did love Lily. She tried to understand how loving Lily and sharing her mother had to coincide. But she was six years old – and she wanted her mother's undivided attention. Being rational about it didn't currently appeal to her.

"You love her more because she needs you more?"

"Oh, Violet," Jade said, softly. "Love just doesn't work that way. It's not something you ever run out of. I don't have to love you less because I also love Lily. The more people you love, the more love you have to give." She smiled as her eyes met her daughter's. "That's a neat little trick your dad taught me." Violet sniffled as Jade hugged her closer. "I love you more than anything in this world. There is nothing that could ever change that. But I love Coral too - and your dad - and Aunt Kitty. Aunt Tori - and grandma - and grandpa - and Lily."

Violet didn't answer, so Jade squeezed her again and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much," she said softly. She turned out the nightlight and settled Violet more comfortably in her arms. Softly, she began to sing.

_Darling you can count on me_

_'Til the sun dries up the sea_

_Until then I'll always be_

_Devoted to you_

_I'll be yours 'til endless time_

_I'll adore your charms sublime_

_Guess by now you know that_

_I'm Devoted to you_

_I'll never hurt you, I'll never lie_

_I'll never be untrue_

_I'll never give you reason to cry_

_I'd be unhappy if you were blue  
Through the years our love will grow_

_Like a river it will flow_

_It can't die because I'm so_

_Devoted to you  
_

_I'll never give you reason to cry_

_I'd be unhappy if you were blue  
Through the years our love will grow_

_Like a river it will flow_

_It can't die because I'm so_

_Devoted to you_

_Devoted to you_

Violet's tears dried and by the end of the song, she was sleeping, snuggled closely against her mother. Jade stayed with her, ignoring the knowledge that all of their guests were still in the house, probably waiting for her. By the time her eldest daughter was sleeping soundly and she was able to extract herself from the child's grip, everyone had gone home. Beck had cleared all of the dishes and glasses and locked up the house. He was waiting for her in their bedroom.

"What happened?" He asked, sitting on the edge of their bed and waiting while she disappeared into their closet and reappeared, dressed in a comfortable pair of cotton pajamas. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and sat at her vanity to remove her makeup. She looked at him in the mirror.

"I think she's getting a little jealous of the attention Lily's getting."

"I can't blame her," Beck answered. Jade glared at him slightly.

"She has to learn to get over it," Jade answered. "Especially with another baby coming –"

"Babe, I'm just saying - I'm a grown man and I'm jealous of the time you spend with other people. I can't blame our six-year-old for feeling that way occasionally."

"Am I that terrible?"

"No," Beck said, backpedaling and regretting his words immediately. "I love you – I love that you help so many people. But I can see why Violet's upset. She doesn't understand what's going on. Hell, we don't even understand this. It's been a whirlwind and suddenly Tori is moved out, you have a little sister, and Violet finds it confusing that there's one more person to share her life with. I can just see where she's coming from."

"I'm trying my best," Jade said, dejectedly.

"Your best is two hundred times better than anyone else's. And you're an amazing mom," Beck told her. "It was just a hard day for her. It'll be okay." Jade didn't respond. She continued removing her makeup, got ready for bed, and allowed him to massage her shoulders and cuddle with her until she fell asleep.

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Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews! Let me know what you think. Do you think Violet's jealousy is understandable? Well-founded? Do you think it will affect her relationship with Lily? What did you like? Anything you didn't like? Thanks again for reading!


	9. Growing Up is Hard

Thank you for the lovely reviews! This chapter doesn't have a whole lot of action – but I like to think there are some funny things that keep it entertaining – and it does serve to move the plot along – so, here it is.

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Chapter 9 - Growing Up is Hard

"_Growing up is hard, love. Otherwise everyone would do it."  
_― Kim Harrison, _Pale Demon_

The next morning, Tori woke at six thirty and started coffee and breakfast before waking Lily. She had learned quickly not to startle the child awake. It had the potential to begin the day on the bad note of a panic attack. Instead, Tori sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her cheek, gently telling her, in a soft voice, that it was time to wake up. She stroked Lily's hair and gently rocked her until she woke. That was a particularly early morning and the little girl said nothing as Tori helped her wash her face, brush her teeth, do her hair, and get dressed.

They had appointments scattered throughout – it was going to be a busy day – and a difficult one. Trina appeared in the hall as Tori carried the child to the kitchen, her hand on her hip and an eye mask flipped up over her hair. She looked both startled and annoyed.

"Why are you awake so early?" She demanded.

"We have things to do," Tori said simply. "If you want something hot for breakfast – I'm making it now." Lily rested her head against Tori's shoulder and ignored Trina's mumbled response. Twenty minutes later, Trina did appear in the kitchen, her expression still confused.

"It's so early," she whined. She was still wearing her pajamas and a fluffy lavender robe covered in bright, loopy flowers; she had stolen it from Tori's closet.

"I never said you had to get up," Tori told her, putting a plate of pancakes in front of her. Lily was already working on hers, slowly. She took a long time to get moving in the morning. Tori took her own plate and sat next to her daughter and across from her sister.

"What in the world do you need to be up this early for?"

"Lily and I have a few appointments we need to attend to today," Tori informed her. "We should be back around 3."

"What am I supposed to do all day?"

"Whatever you want," Tori answered. "I told you when you called that we had plans we couldn't cancel. You'll have to entertain yourself." She pointed to a key on the table. "There's an extra key – I'll text you the alarm code."

"Really, Tori? I come to visit and you're leaving me alone?"

"I told you we had plans," Tori repeated. "Can you put the dishes in the dishwasher?" She drank the last swig of her coffee and took Lily's hand, the two of them disappearing from the room before Trina could say another word. Tori would have paid to see it happen - but Trina must have loaded the dishwasher - because the dishes were no longer on the table later that day.

The first appointment – at 8am – was with Dr. Jo – Lily's pediatrician. She was thrilled with Lily's recovery - and had nothing but good things to say. Lily shook like a leaf the entire time but never complained and never cried - she did as she was told and waited silently for the exam to be over. Dr. Jo was sympathetic to her terror and moved so that it was over quickly.

"You, my little one, need to gain weight," she said once Lily was again dressed and sitting in Tori's lap on one of the waiting room chairs. "I'd like to see another fifteen pounds when you come back in six months." She wrote several prescriptions for vitamins and then sent a nurse in to draw blood. Lily sat silently, hiding her face against Tori's neck as the woman took three vials of her blood. As if that wasn't torture enough, the nurse gave her three different shots. Since Camilla had never taken her to a doctor's appointment, she had none of the inoculations other children of her age usually had. Dr. Jo had been sneaking them in piecemeal.

Once they were finished there, Tori drove to Katie's private office and sat in on Lily's therapy session. Katie peppered her with questions about her new house - her new room - and what it was like living with Tori. The brunette mentioned the situation from the night before and Katie asked Lily to tell her about Trina. The small child relayed her fears - and told Katie the promises that Tori had made - that she was not going to leave her - and that Trina was harmless. Katie was full of praises, telling Lily it was a good idea to ask to leave when she wasn't comfortable – and to tell Jade and then Tori how she felt. She emphasized the fact that the adults could only help her when they knew what was wrong.

Toward the end of the session, Katie brought up a subject that honestly had not occurred to Tori. It had been weeks of worry and stress and deep contemplation - but this was one topic that she hadn't yet considered. "Eventually, Lily's going to need to be in school," Katie said, speaking more to Tori than the little girl. The child looked up at her, waiting for her verdict. Tori nodded.

"Of course. Do you think now is a good time for that?" she asked, looking questioningly at Katie.

"I think there are options. And it's better to get used to the idea now." Lily looked doubtful and ignored them as Katie shared with Tori some of her thoughts - and what she should do next. After the therapy appointment, Tori took Lily to occupational therapy. The skills that Camilla and John had never taught the child were mind-boggling – but she was catching on quickly. After that, they ate a quick lunch that Tori had packed (hospital food had proved to be terrible) and walked to a different floor for physical therapy. She had to go several times a week to strengthen her muscles – so many hadn't been properly used since she hadn't seen much beyond the darkened bedroom where she'd been kept.

The physical therapy didn't bother Lily; the child-friendly therapists made it fun with games and toys. But she was exhausted when they were ready to leave. Tori carried her to the car and buckled her into her booster seat. Lily was sleeping when they got home, forcing her new mother to once again carry her - this time up a flight of stairs. Luckily, Beck was just getting home when Tori pulled into the drive and he was happy to carry the sleeping child to her bedroom. Tori removed her shoes, tucked her under the covers, and walked back into the hall with Beck.

"Thank you," she said softly, not wanting her voice to carry.

"Any time," Beck answered. He walked with her toward the kitchen. "Seriously, Tori, if you need help - just call. We're trying to respect your space - but if you want us for anything, you just have to ask."

"I know that. And I really appreciate it," she said genuinely, smiling at one of her oldest friends. "Now, go home before you wife calls and yells at me for keeping you." She was teasing and he grinned.

"Yes ma'am," he said, playfully. He disappeared out the back door as Tori moved to the refrigerator to pull out the pitcher of water. She poured herself a glass and almost spilled it when Trina came into the room, sighing loudly and whining.

Trina had changed into a pair of jeans, a loud pink sweater, and a pair of heels that looked difficult to walk in. Some things didn't change. "I'm so bored," she whined.

"What did you do today?" Tori asked, peering into the refrigerator to decide what to do for dinner. It was her night to cook. Jade had already texted to remind her. Three times.

"Nothing," Trina said in an accusatory voice. "You left me."

"You're perfectly capable of getting around Hollywood on your own," Tori informed her. "You did it when we were teenagers all the time. Why didn't you just go do something?"

"By myself?" Trina looked aghast at the suggestion.

"If you were nicer to people, you might have had someone to call," Tori reminded her, not feeling the least bit guilty. Trina knew she needed to be nicer; she had admitted it a few times herself. "And there's no law against going to a movie by yourself. Or reading a book."

"You are so boring!" Trina yelled.

Tori turned on her heel and glared at her sister. "Keep your voice down - Lily is sleeping!"

"That's another thing - what are you doing with her? Why did you just decide to take a kid? I mean, you lost three years of your life - wasn't that enough? Don't you want to do something fun?"

"Trina!"

"What? I want you to enjoy your life - you deserve it after all this crap. And how are you going to do that with a kid in tow?"

"Being a mother may not be what you want in your life," Tori informed her gruffly, "but it is what I want. And if you can't learn to respect that - then you need to stay away. And you are only welcome to stay in my home if you are going to be nicer to my daughter - that includes acknowledging her when she's in the room."

"Fine," Trina said with a groan of annoyance, as though Tori had just demanded that she stop leaving wet towels on the floor. She stomped away and up the stairs. Tori shook her head and went back to the refrigerator, pulling out several pieces of chicken. She slid chicken puffs into the oven and was creating a rice and vegetable stir fry when Jade knocked on the back door and entered without waiting.

"Hi," Tori said grumpily.

"Hi," Jade answered, looking at her carefully. "You sound unhappy. Does this have something to do with your bitch of a sister?"

"Jade," Tori said in exasperation. "Don't use that language."

Jade looked around the room, standing on her toes and stretching her neck to feign looking further. Then she turned to Tori and shot her a signature "you're an idiot" look. Tori was used to it by now. "Who exactly is going to hear us?"

"It doesn't matter," Tori answered. "Violet and Coral and Lily - they're all old enough to copy that kind of language. And you'd be just as horrified as I was if one of them used a word like that in public. Jade shrugged; there was some truth to that.

Walking to a nearby cabinet, she removed the makings for Tori's favorite type of tea and began scooping the dried leaves into two tea balls. As she placed a kettle on the stove to heat water, she sat at the kitchen counter, elbows supporting her head in her hands. "So, are you done deflecting now? What did Trina do?"

"She's just so childish," Tori answered. "I don't have time for that anymore. She won't acknowledge Lily's existence. When she does, she says something mean."

"To Lily?" Jade asked, sitting up straight, her defenses clearly engaging.

"To me," Tori answered. "And I can take her personality - I'm used to it. But again, that doesn't mean I have time for it - and it doesn't mean I want Lily to have to deal with it. She's already fragile. What if she catches onto the fact that Trina completely ignores her?"

"Violet enjoys the fact that Trina ignores her. Maybe Lily will too." The tea kettle whistled and Jade stood to pour the water into two waiting cups. She removed the tea leaves from hers after only a minute and measured two teaspoons of sugar into the cup. Tori received the other mug with no additions. Tori put a small plate over her mug; she liked her tea to steep longer. Although she liked the tea Tori drank, Jade thought tea in general was pretty stupid - coffee was so much better. But she drank it because it was warm - and it was something to do when she couldn't drink her beloved coffee. Sometimes - only sometimes though - her coffee cravings left her questioning her choice to keep getting pregnant. She was musing about her love for coffee when Tori interrupted her thoughts.

"How is everything over there?"

"We're fine," Jade answered, eyes opening wider as she looked at Tori. "Cat's stopped burning your old stuffed animals in effigy, if that's what you're worried about."

"Shut up," Tori responded, smiling. Jade continued to tease her about Cat's adverse reaction to her moving out - despite the fact that the redhead had gotten over it - especially after Tori had given her a key - and set up an alarm passcode that Cat could (usually) remember.

Before the conversation could go any further, Beck arrived with Coral and Violet, Cat following close behind. Violet hugged Tori and then went to set the table as she was asked. Beck strapped Coral into her highchair - the one they kept at Tori's house - and followed Violet into the dining room to make sure none of the plates broke on their way to the table. Cat stood next to Jade and picked up her mug.

"You won't like it-" The last word barely left her lips before Cat was sputtering the liquid back into the cup. Jade grimaced and took it back, carrying it to the sink and draining it.

"Why do you drink that?" Cat asked incredulously. She went directly to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, rinsing her mouth and spitting in the sink several times.

"Go ahead," Tori said dryly, "feel free to spit in my sink."

"Thanks, Tori," Cat said seriously, some relief evident in her tone after half the bottle was gone. Tori and Jade both shook their heads.

"Why do you insist on drinking out of my cups?" Jade asked Cat. "It's not hygienic - and you don't like half of what I drink."

"I don't think you like that either," Cat answered. "Now I think you're just messing with me."

Jade smirked; it was something she would do. She hadn't in this instance, but it gave her good ideas for the future. Tori woke Lily while Jade put everything on the table. Trina joined them as they sat down to dinner. Conversation began lightly. Violet was asked about her school day and then Beck told them about his current film and shared with them his chance to do voices for a new Pixar movie. Cat squealed.

"I get to do voices for that too!" She said excitedly. Beck looked at Jade, who shrugged.

"I didn't know you were trying for the part," she answered his unspoken question of why she hadn't told him that Cat had already received the female lead. Beck loved Cat - but spending all day with her? That was a challenge. He had done it before on several projects - and sometimes it made him want to just hit things. Things, not people. Just things.

"I was thinking maybe I should look for something in LA," Trina said suddenly, causing Jade to choke on the piece of broccoli she had been swallowing. Beck patted her back as she coughed, swallowed the food, and tried to regain her composure. Tori sat stone-faced at the head of table, her fork stuck in mid-air. She placed it on her dish and drank from her wine glass. Jade tried not to look too envious. If ever there was a time for alcohol - it was when Trina Vega was threatening to move back into your town.

Once Jade was no longer in danger of choking, Beck stood from his seat, walking into the kitchen, and returned with a beer. He cracked it open, ignoring Jade's look of dismay and agitation. The normal rule was - if Jade couldn't drink - neither could he. He was breaking that rule under these circumstances. "Trine," Tori said finally, using her sister's nickname and speaking gently. "Don't you remember the first time you looked for work in LA? It didn't go very well."

"But this time I have people who can vouch for me!" she said excitedly. Beck and Cat started shaking their heads almost immediately, both looking sick and concerned at the idea. Luckily, Trina was not good at reading the expressions of others; she just didn't care enough to pay attention.

"Trina, that is not a good idea," Beck said uncomfortably.

"Why not? I'm great! And you have first-person experience with my performing - so you can tell your agent to get me a few auditions with the right people - "

"People hate me," Beck said weakly, in desperation. "Really, they hate me. They're not going to do me any favors."

Trina rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous. You're Hollywood's golden boy," she argued. "I do get cable in New York. I see what the entertainment news is talking about. And it's always you and Jade - and sometimes Cat."

"Me?" Cat squeaked. "Not me. They just think I'm crazy. And they think I'm fun to report about. I don't even deal with my agent to find new jobs. Jade does." Cat was talking so quickly that most of the adults in the room barely caught half of what she said - but Jade knew enough to piece together what the redhead had spouted. Trina's eyes turned to Jade, who practically growled.

"Don't even look at me. My contacts are literary and musical. Neither of which are areas where you excel. Trina, go back to New York and find another choreography job. Clearly, you did well with that. Trying another go at acting in LA is a bad plan."

Trina was silent until finally, she spoke and relayed the news that everyone had feared since her arrival. "I lost my job - I think they were jealous of my talent. And apparently, they blackballed me. I haven't been able to get another interview or audition in months. Can you believe that?"

"Yes," Jade answered simply as Beck nodded and Cat added,

"I can, actually."

"How long has it been?" Tori asked after several moments of silence. She was aware that Violet and Lily were watching every move they made and listening to every word - they couldn't afford to become upset.

"I'm sure something else will come up-"

"Trina, how long?" Tori's voice was stern this time, demanding the answer. It was a voice that made Violet's ears perk up - it was certainly a tone that she had grown up learning to obey.

"Eleven months."

"What!? What have you been living on? What have you been doing?"

Lily's eyes widened as Tori's voice rose. Trina was stammering, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Who wants ice cream?" Beck asked, to which Cat immediately responded in the positive. Violet and Lily ignored him, but he got them away from the table anyway. He told Violet to hold Cat's hand and picked up Coral, taking Lily by his free hand and shuffling them all out to his car. He was thankful he hadn't gotten past the first sip of his beer. Within a few minutes, they were gone.

Jade, Tori, and Trina sat silently at the table. "Would you like me to leave?" Jade asked finally.

"No," Tori answered.

"Yes," Trina demanded. Jade glared at her.

"It's your sister's house - her answer is the only one I care about."

In a long and very-skewed story, Trina described how she had been fired from the Broadway choreography job that she'd somehow managed to land herself years before. Even with her as the story teller, Trina still came out as the offending party. She, of course, couldn't see it. Jade's opinion was that she was lucky she wasn't being sued over sexual harassment by the men in her company. Tori was silent on the topic. When she spoke, it was nothing about fault or stupidity or arrogance or any of the other things she wanted to scream at Trina about. She spoke of the future – because that was what she feared most.

"Trina, what is your plan?"

"I thought something else would come up," Trina answered. Her voice indicated to Tori that she understood the gravity of the situation.

"What's left?"

"Not much," Trina answered. It was the first time she seemed embarrassed.

"How much is 'not much'" Jade asked.

"That's not your business!"

"Then tell me," Tori responded. "Because I have the same question. What's left – a few thousand, a few hundred? What do you have in your bank account to live on – right now?"

Trina looked away and for the first time in years – Tori thought she saw her sister showing genuine emotion. "Trina, please. I can't do anything if you don't tell me how bad it is."

"There's nothing left," Trina answered finally. "I have about six hundred dollars in the bank – but I owe thousands on my credit cards. My rent is past due – the other bills are just overwhelming."

"Oh, Trina," Tori said, her face falling to her hands as she closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts. When she looked up, she saw that Trina wiping away tears – and Jade was uncharacteristically quiet. And pale. Tori allowed her concern over Trina's situation melt away for a moment and she turned to Jade.

"Jade – are you okay? You look really pale."

"I'm fine," Jade said sharply. Her pallor did give way to ruddy cheeks as her anger flared. "I'm trying to understand how you two share the same DNA – and how Trina can be so stupid. Allowing credit card debt to build up? And now I'm sure you're looking for a handout – "

Tori put out her hand, placing it on the table in front of the brunette. "Jade, stop. Please. That's just going to make it worse." Trina was glaring at the woman, her tears mostly dried up and anger filling in the void where embarrassment had been.

"Do you think this is easy? Why do you think I waited? I thought something good would happen – I thought I would find a job and avoid asking Tori for help. Because I knew if I had to come here – as embarrassing as that would be – it would be ten times worse because I would have to deal with you. I can't even speak to my sister without you butting in and sharing your snarky opinion. Not everyone can be perfect all the time." Jade gave a characteristic rising of one eyebrow, but otherwise she didn't answer Trina.

"I asked Jade to stay," Tori informed her sister. "This is not going to turn into a battle between the two of you. So stop it, right now." She looked at Jade. "Both of you. We're done for tonight. Trina, tomorrow – I want to see your bills – everything. We can go from there."

"Tori –" The younger sister stood from the table and shook her head when Trina tried to speak. "I'm not going to argue with you." She turned to eye Jade. "Or with you. That's it – the conversation is over for tonight. We'll look at the bills tomorrow." She looked at Jade. "Will you help?"

"I suppose so," Jade replied airily. "I was planning to write tomorrow – I'll skip it. But I'll keep Annie on – she can watch Lily as well as Coral."

"Tori!" Trina said in agitation. Tori glared at Trina.

"She's good with finances. You need her help – probably more than you need mine." The conversation ended with Trina disappearing to the guest room while Jade silently helped Tori clean up after dinner. The two women said very little before they separated for the night – other than Tori begging Jade to put aside her dislike for Trina.

"For you, I will try to behave," Jade promised, her tone short.

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Are you surprised at Trina's troubles? How do you think it will affect the others? Did you have a favorite line or part? I had a few favorite lines in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it – let me know what you thought.


	10. Sisters

Chapter 10 – Sisters

"_If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child_."

~Linda Sunshine

That night, when Beck brought Lily back home, Tori helped her bathe. It was always a difficult ritual for her because she could see everything - every mark that those terrible people had left on their beautiful child's skin. The spot on her back where she'd been beaten with the metal hairbrush was the worst. It was healed, but it was tender and still hurt if any pressure was applied, even that of a washrag. The skin was pocked and uneven - not the smooth baby skin it should have been. That night, after a long and difficult day, Tori tried her best not to look at anything as she washed Lily.

Unfolding a fluffy blue bath towel, Tori wrapped it around the little girl and plucked her from the tub. Lily yawned as the older woman dried her off and dressed her in a pair of pajamas with a ruffled pink top and pink and white polka-dotted pants. They had been a gift from Cat. Once she was ready for bed, Tori knew she needed to spend time trying to explain what had happened at dinner. They sat on the sofa in Tori's bedroom, facing one another. "Trina lost her job."

"Is that bad?" Lily asked, curiously.

"I can be really bad," Tori replied. "Your job is how you get money to buy things you need - like food and clothing and a place to live."

"Are you going to lose your job?" Tori smiled and shook her head.

"No. My job is to sing - and as long as people like to listen to me sing, I'll have a job. Don't ever worry about my job." She failed to mention the money she - unlike Trina - had stockpiled away. It would take many years of not having a career - and of mismanaging money - for Tori to be in any type of financial trouble. But the details behind her personal finances were more than the child could understand.

"I like when you sing," Lily told her.

"Well, thank you," Tori answered, pulling her closer and wrapping her arms around the child. "One of these days, I'm going to get you to sing with me." Lily giggled and relaxed into her lap. Tori had tried several times to get Lily to sing with her - even if it was just some silly song in some Disney movie - but the child had not sung a note. Even when she played with Violet and the young songbird was trying out her wings, Lily still refused to sing. When Tori asked her if she liked to sing, Lily told her that no, she did not. She was adamant about it. Tori kept trying. She knew that if Violet and Jade were any indication, vocal prowess ran in the family.

Lily lay her head back and looked up at Tori. "Trina lost her job?" She wanted Tori to explain what this meant to her; that was what mattered. Tori nodded and met her gaze.

"Yes. Trina lost her job. She needs help getting back on her feet. Finding another job, finding a place to live, and learning how to take care of the things she has."

"Do you have to help her?"

"I do," Tori said, almost apologetically. "I'll try to get her a different place to live as soon as I can - but she might be here for a few weeks."

"It's okay. I understand."

Tori peered at her. "You do?"

Lily bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "Not really."

Tori looked confused. "Then why did you say that?"

"When I say that, Dr. Katie stops talking about stuff I don't want to talk about." Tori laughed out loud, startling Lily. She tried to bite back the laughter that was bursting at her diaphragm.

"Lily, you can't do that," Tori said, trying to sound stern.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not being honest. And you have to be honest. You have to tell Dr. Kate the truth so she can help you. And if you say things just to get her to stop talking - then she can't help you."

"I won't do it anymore," Lily said. "I think she's starting to figure it out anyway." Tori hid a smile and kissed the top of Lily's chestnut curls.

"Good girl," she answered.

Once Lily was asleep that night, Tori made a pot of hot chocolate - the Belgian kind her mother had always made for them - back when she still made things for them. She knocked on the door to the guest room where Trina was staying and waited until her sister to answer. Trina opened it, revealing that she had also gotten ready for bed. She was dressed in a pair of yellow cotton pajamas, her hair pulled into a ponytail - and Tori could see that she'd been crying - heavily. Her makeup had been washed off and her eyes were ringed in red.

"I really don't want to talk right now." She even sounded like she'd been crying - congested and stuffy, like she'd had a sudden run-in with a cold.

"Just let me in," Tori answered. Trina stepped back - it was her sister's house, after all. Tori set the items on the small table in the room and poured two cups, plopping marshmallows into each. She handed a cup to Trina and took her own to the arm chair by the window. The drapes were open, giving them the view of the dark night sky.

Trina set aside the mug Tori had handed her and she remained standing in the center of the room. Neither woman spoke - and Trina didn't quite know what to do with herself. After half of her mug was drained, Tori finally posed a question that she hadn't been expecting herself to ask - but it was something that had occurred to her more than once over the years. "Do you think they really wanted us, after the reality set in? After we were grown up?"

"I think they wanted kids because it was what they were supposed to want," Trina answered honestly. "Dad seemed a little more willing to accept it than mom. I don't think either one of them really loved being a parent - or even liked it. But they loved you, Tori. They really did - as much as they knew how."

"They loved you too," Tori answered. "Even if you always made it harder than it had to be."

"Seems to be something I do," Trina said hollowly.

"Things don't have to be so hard," Tori told her sadly. "But you need to face some realities. And I know you don't like to do that." Trina said nothing. She picked up the hot chocolate and tasted it, her eyes lighting up ever so slightly. "It's the brand mom used to buy," Tori told her. Trina sipped it again and eventually sat on the window seat, close to Tori.

"If anyone has the ability to be a good mom, it's you," Trina said softly, catching her sister by surprise. "I really mean that. You care about people - even when they don't deserve it. That little girl couldn't be luckier." After she finished those words, she looked away, staring out the window.

"Trina - everyone deserves to have someone who cares about them." The older sister wiped tears from her eyes but said nothing.

A few minutes later, Trina spoke again. "If you repeat this, I'll deny it. But you aren't going to learn how to be a good mom by thinking about our mom. But you're lucky. Somehow, you ended up with a surprisingly good example close by."

"I know," Tori answered. "I know she's rough. But she doesn't hate you ask much as you think she does. And she will help you - if you're smart about things."

"Why would she do that?"

"For me," Tori answered.

"Why would you lift a finger to help me - after everything I've done?"

"You're my sister," Tori responded. "And when that stops meaning something, the world becomes a little bit of a sadder place. And I don't want that. I need every day to count. You said it yourself - I lost enough of them."

The sisters were silent for a long time before Tori wordlessly excused herself and went to her own bedroom, lying awake for the first sleepless night in a long time.

The next morning, after Tori and Jade convinced Lily to spend the day with Annie and Coral, Jade spent hours going through the bills Trina produced. Most of them had to be printed from online because she had not dragged the physical bills with her from New York. The brunette mother-of-two muttered as she circled due dates and amounts. She had a large blank calendar that she scribbled on occasionally. Tori had been planning to help, but every time she touched a piece of paper, Jade practically growled at her.

"Go get a copy of your lease faxed," Jade said, not even looking up at Trina. The older woman left the room to do so. Once she returned with that, Jade demanded something else. It was well past lunch time before she moved from the cluttered dining room table. She stood up and stretched, realizing for the first time that she was hungry.

Tori studied at her with concern. "You look pale again. Are you okay?"

"I haven't eaten since seven this morning," Jade responded. "I'm just hungry."

"I made soup and sandwiches - it's all waiting in the kitchen."

After Jade had eaten, she was willing to talk. She even looked at Trina - possibly for the first time that day. "First, let me say that you're an idiot for having so many open credit cards." Tori glared and Jade shook her head. "Sorry - I just had to get that out in the open and out of my system." She took a gulp from her glass of ice water and looked at the single sheet of paper she'd carried with her into the kitchen.

"I think about $12,000 will get you out of immediate crisis."

"Is that all?" the older woman asked sarcastically. "Who has $15,000 just sitting around?" she demanded. "I know that I need money, Einstein. If I had it, I wouldn't be in trouble."

"Watch it," Jade said sharply. "And the answered to your questions is - everyone within a five to ten mile radius, including their dogs."

"It's true," Tori said with a shrug. "Mrs. Price down the street opened a million-dollar trust for her poodle, Mindy, a few months ago - in case she passed away first - the dog would be cared for."

"She's an idiot," Jade muttered. She shook her head and got back to the topic at hand. "If your sister is foolish enough to lend you $15,000, then you can at least get the creditors to stop calling. If you can then get a job that pays a reasonable wage, the banks will probably give you a loan to consolidate the rest of your credit cards. Again, that depends on your sister being gullible enough—"

Tori interrupted. "Do you think you could stop insulting me? I know it's an attempt to antagonize Trina, but it's starting to hurt my feelings." Jade ignored her and continued.

"It depends on Tori being willing to co-sign for you. No one in their right mind would give you a loan. After that, if you stick to a budget, it should only take a few years to pay everything off."

"I've been looking for a job for almost a year," Trina whined. "Your little plan is useless if I can't find one."

"Look somewhere else," Jade told her sternly. They all knew that Trina had been looking for jobs onstage or choreographing - all in New York. She clearly was no longer welcome in that industry in that city. Tori winced at Jade's tone - but she knew her friend wasn't wrong.

"How much would it cost to eliminate the debt right now?" Tori asked.

"No," Jade said, dragging the word until it was two syllables. Tori stared at her until she huffed. "Over $90,000. Which is a large sum of money to give to anyone -"

"How much did you spend on my medical bills that first year?"

"That's different." Jade was still using a dry, quiet, low tone. She was clearly not happy with the direction of the conversation.

"But you did it," Tori told her. "And you told me that I couldn't tell you how to spend your money. Now, you're not going to tell me how to spend mine."

"If you give her all of it - she's never going to learn how to take care of herself."

"I'm right here," Trina said in agitation. "And I'm not five years old!"

"No," Jade agreed. "When my child was five, she could add and subtract. You've clearly never gained those skills."

"Stop," Tori pleaded. "Jade, you promised." Jade stopped talking and followed Tori and Trina back to the dining room. The two sisters stared at the stacks of paper until Tori finally looked back at Jade. "Alright. You can speak. But be nice. What do we do first?"

Jade shook her head and sighed. She had been showing Tori her finances for years - but it was only when the other woman moved into her own home that she paid any attention to them. She did a fine job of budgeting and balancing her checkbook, but Trina's mess was nothing she could navigate. "The lease." She looked at Trina. "Are you going back to New York?"

"She's staying here for now," Tori said, before Trina could answer.

Jade gritted her teeth before continuing. "Then, you want to pay off the lease through the end of the year - it's only a few months - it's not a huge loss. Hire movers to pack your things and either have them shipped here or put into storage. Having them shipped here would be cheaper." She looked at Tori. "But that is a big commitment of space." It wasn't only the commitment of space that Jade was worried about.

"Have it shipped here," Tori answered, ignoring Jade's pointed tone.

"Then the credit cards where you haven't been meeting the minimum payments - I'm assuming you're already getting phone calls?" Trina nodded.

Suddenly, Jade looked happy. She turned her eyes to Trina and Tori saw a dangerous glint behind the bright blue. "Where are your credit cards?"

"Why?"

"Go get them." Trina went and picked up her purse. She handed six cards to Jade.

"All of them," Jade prodded. With a lot of hesitation, Trina handed her four more. Jade walked into the room that Tori used as an office and put the first card through the shredder. Trina made a strangled sound. "You do the rest," Jade told her.

"What if? I should- That's not - "

"Trina," Tori said warningly. Trina didn't say another word - she fed all of the credit cards into the machine where they were made useless. By the end of the day, Trina had made phone calls to close all of her credit cards - some still had balances, but they could no longer be used to make purchases. Tori told her to pay off the balances - but Trina hesitated - and then told Tori that she wanted to get a job - that she would start paying on them herself. She had paid off her lease and canceled it for the following year. Utilities were also paid for and shut off after the current month. Movers were hired.

Jade left around three, giving Trina specific instructions on what to do next. She needed a resume, she needed to call and arrange consolidations for several of her bills. But Jade was finished – she was tired. Creeping into the house, she avoiding the living room where she could hear Annie playing with Coral and Lily. Instead, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom and lay down to take a quick nap.

Her quick nap lasted longer than she intended – it was past six when she woke to find Beck peeking into the room from the hallway. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hey," he answered, entering when he saw that she had woken. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently caressed her cheek and leaned down to kiss her. "Tired?" She nodded.

"I didn't do anything for dinner," she said, realization dawning.

"It's taken care of," Beck promised. "Why don't I bring up a plate? You look like you could use more rest." She agreed – which both surprised and slightly worried her husband. While he went to the kitchen to get her a bowl of the stew Tori had prepared, Jade slipped into the bathroom, washed her face, and straightened her hair. She curled back onto the bed, positioning herself as comfortably as possible; using the boppy pillow Beck had bought for her when she'd been pregnant with Violet. Now, at just over five months with her third child, she was bigger than she had been at seven months with Violet. It annoyed her – and it left her feeling more run down that she remembered from the other pregnancies.

When Beck returned with her dinner, she sat up and ate what she could. He sat behind her on the bed, holding her as she picked at the food. Eventually, she ate enough to feel satisfied and placed the bowl on the night stand. She resituated herself in bed and closed her eyes, clearly planning to nap again. He kissed her cheek and left the room, heading down the stairs to spend the rest of the evening with his daughters.

After dinner, Tori helped clean up the meal, kissed and hugged Coral and Violet goodbye, and took Lily back to their own house. Trina was there – not having wanted to join in the family dinner. Tori knew she was still embarrassed; she needed time to herself. She had made herself a sandwich and was finishing a cup of coffee when Tori and Lily walked in the door.

"Hey," Tori said.

"Hey," Trina answered, a weak smile reaching her lips. She fought hard to make her smile genuine – and turned it to Lily. "Hi, Lily."

"Hi," the child said, her voice tiny as she hid her face against Tori's leg. Tori gave Trina an apologetic look; it would take time for Lily to stop being weary of her.

"We're going upstairs to get ready for bed," Tori told her sister. "I'll be back down a little later." She led Lily up to her bedroom and – and hour later – had her tucked under the covers and ready for sleep. When she rejoined Trina, her sister had moved to the living room, nursing another cup of coffee.

Tori knew they had a lot to talk about. She went into the kitchen, made herself a cup of decaffeinated tea, and walked back to sit next to her sister. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Trina answered. "Embarrassed. But fine."

"Everyone makes mistakes."

"Mine seem bigger."

"That's because you avoid them until they turn colossal. If you had called me eleven months ago – or even six months ago – but it doesn't do us any good to talk about what you should have done. Because this situation is not going to occur again," she said, her voice firm. "After this mess gets cleaned up – you need to be more careful. You have to live within your means. You can't have every new piece of clothing or every new shoe or beauty product that comes along."

Trina nodded; she had learned at least one lesson – she never wanted to be in the position to need Jade's help again. And she never wanted her sister to look as disappointed as she had the night before.

"We can work on your resume tomorrow – then you can start looking for a job."

"I hear they're casting for a new Steven Spielberg television show," Trina said excitedly. Tori's eyes closed.

"Trina - why don't you focus on something you do really well? I don't know that acting is it."

"I can act, Tori. I graduated from Hollywood Arts, just like you and everyone else here."

"I know," Tori said. "I know you did. But Trine - you're not good. Mom and Dad - the teachers - so many people should have been more honest with you through the years. But you cannot act. And singing is out of the question."

"Don't sugar coat it or anything," Trina muttered.

"Clearly, I can't afford to anymore," Tori shot back. "Don't get defensive - just listen. There are things you can do. You're a great dancer. And you were amazing with martial arts. What about stunt work? Or teaching dance classes?" Trina made a face but didn't answer – Tori knew she was considering it. Nothing happened for several days. Trina avoided the Oliver family. Jade went to the studio some days, worked from home other days, and took care of her daughters. Tori took Lily to all of her different appointments and spent time with her at home. Mostly, she allowed Trina to stay to herself and mope.

The avoidance of the situation stopped when Beck brought it up to Jade as they were in their bedroom, a week after the news had first dropped. He was already in bed, browsing the web on his PearPad. Jade had already removed her makeup and changed into her pajamas – now she was choosing clothing for the next day. When she exited their walk-in closet, Beck placed aside his tablet and looked at her.

"What are we going to do about Trina?"

"Personally, I would like to send her to Siberia. But I don't think that's what you want to hear."

"No," Beck answered with an amused smile. "That's not the kind of helpful thought I was looking for." He waited for Jade to sit on her side of the bed and took her feet into his lap, rubbing them gently. "I spoke to my agent – but there's nothing he can get her without experience and killer references."

Jade sighed and shook her head.

"Come on," Beck said in a sincere, slightly pestering tone. "Out of all of us - you're the one that can get her in somewhere."

"But I don't like her," Jade answered angrily.

"Well, then she's going to be stuck in Tori's house for the infinite future. Next door. All the time." Jade gave him a hard glare. Beck shrugged and pulled her into his lap so that he could rub her shoulders. "Babe, it's up to you. But if anyone has the ability to help Trina succeed in this town, it's you. And you know I'm right."

"Can't we just pay her to go away? I'll even spring for somewhere warmer than Russia."

"I don't think Tori would approve."

Jade huffed. "She was so much more compliant when she lived here." Beck laughed; he knew Jade was being dramatic.

"Tori is allowed to make her own decisions. Her role in life is not to be pliable with your agenda."

Jade groaned. "Trina can't do anything!"

"Come on," Beck chided. "That's not true. She's a good dancer. She's talented at choreography – and she's down-right scary when it comes to martial arts. I'm sure she can do something with dance or stunt work."

Jade grumbled and walked away from him, disappearing into the bathroom. When she returned, she ordered him to stop talking about Trina. A week later, Trina had her first interview and audition to choreograph for a nearby studio.

* * *

Thank you for reading. And thank you to all of you who take the time to review - it is always great to know what you think and what you like or wonder about the story. Let me know what you liked about this chapter. Anything you disliked?


	11. A Great Relief

I'm sorry if anyone was unhappy with the Trina-heavy chapter, but it's part of the story – I think it shows a lot of growth on Tori's part. And Trina as center won't last long.

Here is the next portion – I hope you enjoy. I think it contains a moment some of you have been waiting for since I wrote A History of Shadows.

I'm on vacation for the next week – so there probably won't be an update for at least that long.

* * *

Chapter 11 – A Great Relief

"Death will be a great relief."

~ Katharine Hepburn

Trina got the job. She was working as an assistant to one of the top ten choreographers in Hollywood. Jade and Beck had both told her - in multiple ways - how not to screw up. Beck offered helpful hints and told her maybe not to talk a lot at first – Jade threatened her within an inch of her life. And a week after starting, she seemed to be holding her own. Jade had been checking up on her - and so far, her boss was pleased - and seemed unaffected by Trina's difficult personality.

That next week, Jade was in her office - writing - when a knock sounded on her office door. "Come in!" Cat entered - in the middle of the day. Jade's eyes widened. She took quick stock of her best friend – no signs of crying or distress. She looked bored, more than anything. "Everything okay?"

"One of the stunt doubles had an accident. He's okay - but Maria sent everyone home," Cat said, mentioning the director. "Beck was still working - so I took a taxi."

"You could have called," Jade told her, removing her glasses and putting them aside. She saved her document and closed her laptop. "Do you want to do something? Coral is with Annie - and Violet has practice after school - we have a few hours."

"Can we go play baby golf?" Cat asked, with a sly smile. Jade shook her head but she was smiling too.

"As long as you tell no one," she responded. "Give me a few minutes to change." Twenty minutes later, they went out and played a round of baby golf - one of Cat's favorite activities - and then went to a little vegan cafe that was delicious - but held no kid-friendly foods - so they rarely went there anymore.

Jade munched on veggie wrap while Cat ate one of their desserts. Dessert for lunch was not usually something Jade would condone – but she hadn't spent a lot of time with Cat lately – and she decided it wouldn't hurt anything. Cat talked about work – gave Jade the important scheduling information and told her that they were on track with filming. "We only have a few more weeks on the movie - and then Nina asked me if I want to audition for the Song of the Lioness movies- she wants me to play Alanna as an adult."

"Those are good books," Jade responded. "Do you want to do it?"

"I don't know," Cat answered. "Maybe. But they're shooting in New Zealand."

Jade tried not to panic. New Zealand? That was insane. "For how long?"

"It's scheduled for two months - but I'm not in most of the first movie. And Nina's not known for making her movies on time." Jade nodded - that was true. The other truth was that if the director was asking Cat to audition, it was as good as a done deal - she would have the part as soon as she showed up to read for it. Cat's moods had been steady since her breakdown before Coral's birth - but Jade found solace in the fact that she saw her best friend daily - and she could make sure things remained steady. It was harder to keep track of Cat's moods at a distance; she was a talented actress. Jade supposed she could hire someone to keep an eye on Cat in New Zealand - but she had just regained her independence from that type of situation a mere handful of months before. It was the only choice. It was too risky to allow her to go on her own and expect things to run smoothly for two months.

"If you want to go - we can make it happen. But we would have to find someone to stay with you. New Zealand is too far away to be on your own for so long."

"I figured," Cat answered, spearing a faux-chocolate curl with her fork. "Why doesn't my brain work like other people's brains?" Jade's eyes flew up and she stared at the woman who had been her best friend since the first grade. Never had Cat acknowledged that she understood that there was a difference between the way she functioned and the way others did. Jade's lips were pursed - hard - and she was trying to gauge the redhead's sincerity. It was there - Cat actually wanted an answer to her question.

"Cat, it's not the simple. Other people's brains don't all work the same way. Everyone has things that make them different. And things that make you different - they also make you an amazing person. Life would be pretty boring if everyone was the same."

"I guess it would be boring," Cat commented, her voice high and sad. She didn't know what answer she had been looking for - but that was not it.

"It would be," Jade confirmed. Jade watched her friend's expression. "Cat, is everything else okay?"

The redhead nodded and decided to change the subject. "Are you excited about the baby?"

"Of course I am," Jade responded, smiling. "But I can't say I'm enjoying the pregnancy. It's kicking my ass."

"Language," Cat admonished. Jade smiled and took another bite of her food. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Don't know," Jade answered. "We're not finding out. I have a feeling - but we'll just wait and see."

"I think Beck needs a boy," Cat told her. "No offence. But you've already made two girls. And you're a girl. And I'm a girl. That's a lot of girls." Jade laughed at Cat's expression.

Her eyes twinkled as she spoke. "I think Beck will be just fine - whatever it turns out to be. He's pretty happy with the girls he already has."

"That's true! He does seem happy," Cat agreed excitedly. "Are you happy too?"

"I am," Jade answered, picking up her last piece of celery. "Not, finish your food so we can go. If you want to pick out a new dress before we head home, we have to go soon." Cat complied, finishing her dessert in the new few minutes. Jade paid the bill and they walked down the street to one of Cat's favorite boutique dress shops. Jade sat in a comfortable chair, her feet up, and watched Cat try on a dozen dresses before buying three.

Once home, Cat disappeared to her bedroom to put away her new dresses or - Jade knew this was probably more likely - try them on again and twirl around her room until she was dizzy. Annie was in the living room with Coral, playing with dozens of stuffed animals. "Hey, Mrs. Oliver."

"Hey, Annie. Everything okay?" Jade walked over, lowered herself to the ground, and gave Coral a kiss. The child smiled at the sight of her mother, let out a sound that was starting to sound like 'mama,' and gave her a great-big toddler-sized hug.

"Everything is great. She just woke up from her nap. Mr. Oliver called to say that he would pick up Violet from school after her music lesson - and Ms. Vega asked me to tell you that she would make dinner."

Jade nodded, kissing Coral again and handing her one of her toys. The child squealed in happiness at the stuffed unicorn and showed it to Annie, who smiled brightly and clapped in acknowledgement. Coral hugged the unicorn and sat back down in front of her other stuffed animals, moving them around in some way that made perfect sense to her.

"Can you stay until Beck gets home? I need a nap myself, I think." Annie nodded.

"Of course. I don't have class until six tonight."

Jade ran a hand through Coral's hair and then stood up, leaning heavily on the armchair as leverage. She slept through to dinner, waking only when Beck kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, telling her it was time to eat. They walked together to Tori's house - Cat had already taken Coral and Violet. Trina was once again making appearances at dinner and she seemed to be rather proud of herself - which was normal - and it sounded like she was doing a great job - which was not as normal.

"Mom, can I invite Faith and Maria and Mattie to come over and play on Saturday? They can meet Lily too." Violet's request was news to Lily, whose eyes grew wide as she stared at her plate.

"Sorry, Vi, we have plans for Saturday," Tori told her. "Maybe another weekend."

Violet looked disappointed, but she turned back to her mother. "Can they still come over?" Jade looked at Beck - who shrugged.

"Sure," Jade answered. "they can come around 11 - but no sleepovers."

"Sleepovers are fun!" Cat objected. Jade glared at her and she turned to Violet. "They're not that fun."

Jade was reading with Violet that night - they were almost at the end of a chapter of the fourth book in the Series of Unfortunate Events - when the doorbell rang. Jade looked up from her prone position on Violet's bed and watched as Beck walked past the door to answer it. It was an odd time of day for visitors - after eight. She lay her head back down and listened to Violet - waiting for her turn to read. Her turn never came. Beck appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, his expression grave. Luckily, Violet had reached the end of the chapter.

"That's enough for tonight," Jade told her, kissing her forehead. "It's time for bed."

"Mama! We read until 8:30 - it's not 8:30."

"I know, beautiful girl. But for tonight, we're ending early. " Jade removed the book from Violet's hands, marked their place, and set it aside. Hugging her daughter, the practiced songstress sang a quick rendition of Braham's Lullaby. Violet knew she was being skimped on - she didn't even get the second verse. But she sensed her mother's distress, so she didn't put up a fuss. Both of her parents kissed her goodnight and Beck helped Jade off of the bed and then tucked the covers securely around Violet. They were gone quickly - leaving their eldest daughter wide awake and wondering what had interrupted her perfectly lovely bedtime routine.

"What's wrong?" Jade asked, following Beck down the stairs to the kitchen. They reached the bottom and she saw that Cat was sitting at the table, entertaining a confused-looking police detective. The same police detective who had been made the lead investigator on the cases against her mother and John - beginning the night that Lily had been found.

"Good evening, Mrs. Oliver. I'm sorry to trouble you at this time of the night," he said, standing to offer his hand to Jade. She took it, numbly. She was brought out of her surprised stupor by Cat's voice. She turned to her oldest friend.

"Cat, can you go upstairs, please?" Despite knowing she was being dismissed - and hating it - Cat left. The detective watched her go. He shook his head in confusion.

"My kids - they love her movies. She's so - different - in real life."

"Cat is definitely what you call an individual," Beck answered lightly. "Detective, can you tell us why you're here?"

"Of course. Again, I'm sorry to trouble you. If you'd take a seat -"

"No," Jade answered sternly. "What is it?"

"I wanted you to hear it from me. Your mother died this evening, in her prison cell." Jade did sit down but Beck remained sentry behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

She shook her head and let out a deep breath. "I guess we have to thank Satan for that," she answered.

"Ma'am, I can't say it's a loss to society - but I wouldn't blame you if you felt otherwise. But I am sorry for any loss you feel."

"You know what she did to me," Jade answered. "What she did to that little girl."

The office nodded. "I have the greatest respect for both of you. That's why I wanted to tell you myself. Her other child-"

"We'll take care of that," Jade told him hollowly. "Thank you."

Beck thanked him as well and let him to the front door. He was surprised to turn around to find Jade behind him. "Jade, what are you doing?" He asked, his hand falling to rest on her lower back. "You need to sit down. This is a lot to take in -"

"She deserves to know," Jade told him.

"It can wait until morning."

"No, it can't." Jade imagined herself - a seven year old - receiving this news. And she knew waiting was not an option. She stepped into a pair of flats that were in the hall closet and walked out the back door to Tori's house. Beck watched her go - he let her go.

Tori looked up in surprise when she heard knocking on the kitchen door. She had been making herself a cup of tea. "I'm sorry," Jade said, passing Tori and heading up the stairs. The other brunette turned off the stove and followed her friend to Lily's room. The child hadn't been sleeping - she'd opened her eyes as soon as she'd heard Jade whisper her name.

Jade sat next to her on the bed and met Lily's eyes - it was easy enough to do with light coming in from the moon and from the nightlight. "She died," Jade said simply. "Camilla is gone. She can't hurt anyone anymore." Lily's eyes widened and then glistened with tears. Tori watched them from the doorway. The tiny girl launched herself into Jade's arms, fitting as best she could despite Jade's stomach. Lily's relief was palpable - Jade's was overwhelming.

Trina appeared in the hallway, having heard Jade and Tori both running up the stairs. She stood next to her sister, observing. "What's going on?" Tori shook her head and pointed to the stairs, indicating that they shouldn't talk there. The two sisters walked to the kitchen and Tori went back to the tea she had been brewing.

Slowly, she shared parts of the story with Trina. She told them what Jade's mother and John had done to the little girl - or, at least what they knew of what those two monsters had done. She said nothing of the abuse or torment Jade had once suffered - that was not her story to tell.

"How could anyone do that?" Trina asked, her expression one of devastation and confusion.

"They're not nice people," Tori answered. Trina went back to her room eventually, but Tori sat in the kitchen until Jade reappeared, her eyes red from crying, her cheeks splotched with tears.

Jade stood across from Tori. "I'm so sorry - I should have asked you first. I don't even know if I should have told her that - now that my brain is functioning again."

Tori shook her head and gave Jade a sympathetic look. "Don't apologize. She needed to know - it doesn't matter if it was tonight or in two weeks. She deserves to know. Is she okay?"

Jade nodded, hooking long, dark hair behind her ear. "She's sleeping. I think she was relieved - after she got over the shock of me just bursting in."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Relieved." Jade said. "I do have to admit, I thought it would feel better - to know that she's gone."

"It's a lot to take in. Did you just find out tonight?" Jade nodded. "Sit down - you look exhausted."

"No, I have to go home - Beck's waiting. Thank you. Again, I'm sorry." She disappeared before Tori could argue. She ran home and fell into Beck's arms - he carried her to bed where she cried herself to sleep, unable to reconcile her feelings.

The next morning, Jade called the prison and made arrangements for her mother to be buried. There would be no service - no memorial - no fuss. Her mother was going in the ground with no fanfare. After lunch, once Annie had put Coral down for her afternoon nap, Beck - who had called off of work - drove Jade to her appointment with Emily.

"Hi, Jade," Emily greeted her as the woman entered her office.

"Hi," Jade responded uncomfortably. She had been planning to cancel after the events of the previous evening, but Beck hadn't allowed her.

"What's going on?" Emily asked, concern evident in her voice. "You look very tired."

"I didn't sleep well."

"Why not?"

"A detective came by last night - Camilla is dead."

"I see." Her voice was impossible to read. She pointed to the sofa where Jade usually sat. "Why don't you have a seat?" Taking a bottle of water from the small refrigerator under her desk, she handed it to Jade. The brunette took the bottle and sat sideways on the sofa, placing her back against the arm and pulling up her feet to rest in front of her. She shifted just a bit to place a pillow behind her back. Emily didn't have to say anything. As soon as she sat across from Jade, the brunette began to speak.

"I don't care that she's dead."

"You don't care - or you're not sad?"

"I'm relieved."

"No one can blame you for that." Jade spent the next hour talking with Emily, trying to make sense of all of the emotions that were coursing through her. Emily assured her that feeling panicked by the whole thing was normal. And she was allowed to have regrets – her mother had left her with many of them. By the time she left, she felt a bit better. The rest of the week went by quickly. Jade kept herself more preoccupied than normal – rushing from the studio to her office, accomplishing things she had been meaning to do for months – because she didn't want to give herself too much time to think.

Lily seemed somewhat unaffected by the news. The day after Jade had burst into her bedroom, Tori sat with her on the swing Beck had built on their back deck and cuddled with her – asking her what she thought about the situation.

"I'm happy she's gone," Lily told Tori softly. She gave her new mother a sincere look. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," Tori admonished quickly. "No, not at all. She did bad things to you – it's good that she's gone. You are a very good person. A very, very good person. Don't ever think otherwise." The talked a bit longer – but in the end, Lily wanted to go and play with Violet, who had just appeared on her own back deck. She looked unfazed as she ran through the back yard and into the Oliver's yard. She and Violet spent the next two hours making up and playing a game that somehow included a soccer ball, a hula hoop, a jump rope, and several tennis balls. Violet had learned well from Cat that anything could be a game.

That week wasn't the easiest on Tori, any more than it was on Jade. Katie kept pushing the schooling issue until Tori started doing her research and making decisions. After testing, it was clear that Lily's aptitude was sky-high. But her skills were limited. She needed help getting caught up – and that would not happen in a normal classroom.

Eventually, it was decided that Lily would be tutored at home, at least until the spring semester started. After calling St. Ann's, Tori was able to secure a licensed teacher to do the tutoring. Lauren Alexander arrived at the house on the following Saturday morning, laden with several boxes and bags. Tori helped her take them into the dining room and introduced herself. They had spoken over the phone, but they had not met in person.

"Lily is really nervous about this," Tori said softly. "So if she has a panic attack, we may have to cut it short for today."

"We'll do as much as we can. There's no hurry," the woman answered kindly. Tori introduced Lily to Miss Alexander and sat with them for about twenty minutes as the teacher started on the alphabet – something Lily already knew. But soon, they were into letter sounds and combinations. Tori snuck from the room and went to the kitchen, where she was surprised to find Jade waiting for her.

"You scared me."

"You didn't jump. I must be losing my touch," Jade said dryly. Tori made a pot of tea and set it on the table between them.

"How are you?" Tori asked, her voice full of empathy and worry.

"If you say one word about my mother, I'm leaving. That's why I'm here. Beck won't shut up about it."

"He's just worried about you," Tori told her. "But I won't bring it up. Everything else okay? You don't look good." Jade glared daggers at Tori for the comment. "I mean it, Jade. You look sick. I'll take care of dinner for tonight – Beck has the girls - why don't you go lie down for a while? You can stay here – no one will bother you."

Jade consented - she was tired. She slipped under the covers of Tori's bed and was asleep before the other woman could close the door.

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Please review – let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

P.S. The entire quote from Katharine Hepburn is "Death will be a great relief. No more interviews." I thought the first part was perfect for this chapter – but the second part didn't quite fit.


	12. Beginnings and Endi

Chapter 12 Beginnings and Endings

"_Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family."_

~Anthony Brandt

Camilla had been gone for five days when the Hollywood news circuit picked up scent of the story. Once it broke - Jade knew exactly how it had happened. Some petty salesman at the funeral home where she'd gone to make arrangements for her mother was angry because she hadn't spent more money - so he decided to sell her story - or at least the part that he knew of. She had seen the gleam in his eye when she'd walked in and he had realized who he was serving. She should have walked right back out - she could tell from experience that he was expecting her business to result in a big payday. She had simply been desperate to get it all finished and tucked neatly away. But when she had spent very little in his establishment, he had decided to make money his own way.

The small blurb that ran in one of the tabloid blogs - that snippet was all it took to start the ball rolling- claimed that Jade had spent very little on burying her mother. It was true - she had paid only the cost of a plain wooden casket and a solitary plot in a public graveyard. Two sources were quoted - apparently a gravedigger had been paid enough to also give information - to tell the press that the burial had been unattended.

The maelstrom began within hours. Beck was actually the first to learn of it - one of his crew members had left the filming studio to pick up his daughter, who was being sent home early from school. He saw the story running on a trashy entertainment-news program in the doctor's office and texted Beck a warning, telling him to check it out.

Tori and Lily had gone to a doctor's appointment and then picked up Violet from school. Tori wanted the little girl to start getting used to seeing the school building - long before she needed to enter. They had stopped for ice cream and were sitting at an outdoor table, enjoying the sticky treats, when a woman with a microphone started jogging over to them, a man following with a camera. Tori was stunned as the woman stuck the microphone in her face and started asking questions.

"Ms. Vega, how do you feel about your friend - Jade West - and her complete disrespect for her mother? Do you know why the woman wasn't granted a funeral? What do you know about Ms. West's childhood?" The questions continued and Tori ignored them and turned away from the woman, shielding the girls from the camera as best she could.

Tori knelt close to Violet's ear. "When I grab your hand, walk fast and don't look at anyone - ok?" Violet nodded. Tori threw her own ice cream cone in the receptacle beside their bench and swung Lily onto her hip.

"Please, don't be so shy, Ms. Vega." The woman was pushy, stepping in their way on the sidewalk. Tori gripped Violet's hand until the child let out a small yelp - then she loosened it. But the noise was enough to get the attention of the ruthless reporter.

"This is Violet Oliver! Miss Oliver, I'm so sorry about your grandma," she said in mock empathy. "How do you feel now that she's gone?" Tori held Violet behind her - it was a tight squeeze given the amount of space the reporter had taken.

"Do not speak to her,' she said sternly. "And please step out of our way."

"I only want-"

"Please move," Tori said sharply, her eyes burning with anger. Lily had dropped her ice cream cone over her mother's shoulder and was holding on tightly, her face buried against Tori's neck. The songstress had no idea what to do - the confrontation had surprised her - and now the woman's boldness was leaving her both angry and nervous. Neither state of mind was good for Violet or Lily to witness. Luckily, the owner of the ice cream store stepped out onto the sidewalk and walked over to her. She knew him from years of going to this place for ice cream - she even remembered him and his wife from when she was a teenager.

"You should be ashamed of yourself for harassing this woman and these young girls," the man said to the reporter. "I've called the police - they're on their way." That sent the woman and her cameraman down the street toward their vehicle. Tori watched as they bolted and turned to the owner.

"Thank you, so much."

"No problem, ma'am. Another customer mentioned you were being harassed - thought I might lend a hand. Can I walk you to your car?" She did allow him - and he promised that calling the police was just a bluff to get rid of the woman - Tori didn't need to stick around to explain anything.

She buckled both girls into their booster seats and thanked him again. He smiled and returned to his store. After they were safely in the car, Tori locked the doors and rested her head on the steering wheel. She was silent as she fought off a panic attack. She fumbled through her purse and then placed a small yellow pill under her tongue and allowed it to dissolve. No one made a sound for several minutes. It was Violet who finally spoke.

"Aunt Tori?" Tori's head sprang up at the sound, as though she remembered where she was and what she was doing. She wiped her eyes and turned around to face them both.

"Are you girls okay?" She asked, trying to shake the tremble from her own voice and hands. Violet nodded, but her eyes were wide - Tori knew she had a million questions, but she also knew that Lily was fragile - and not to be frightened more if possible. Lily said nothing, but reached for Tori's hand on the back of the seat. Tori moved it closer and Lily clutched it tightly for several minutes, a physical reminder that she was okay - and that she was there. By the time they arrived home, the guard at the gate to the neighborhood looked harried.

"We've had four different people try to sneak in here!"

"Keep doing a good job, Larry. We really appreciate what you do," Tori told him sincerely.

"Oh, I'll keep doing my job," he promised. "But the next time someone comes in here trying to impersonate someone else to enter private property - I'm going to call the cops. This is getting ridiculous. Something big going on?"

"Just keep an eye out," Tori told him. "A story made it to the media and is being sensationalized. I'm sure Addie will be in touch."

Beck was photographed twice on his way to his car and was at his last nerve by the time he arrived home. Through it all, Jade had never left her third floor office. Her cell phone had been inadvertently left in the kitchen and she was deep in the plot of her newest play, so she knew nothing. He arrived home at the same time as Tori. He headed directly to his wife's office while Tori took both Violet and Lily to the former's bedroom and hugged them, telling them to play and wait for her. Violet didn't think it was possible to play under these stressful conditions - and told Lily as much. So, they curled up into Violet's bed and Violet read aloud from the book she was reading in school. Lily listened intently

Jade responded absently to the knock at her door - usually at that time of day, it was Annie telling her that Coral was either down for a nap or asking for her. Beck being on the other side didn't occur to her as she called "come in" and continued typing feverishly. She jumped when she felt his hand go directly to the back of her neck - a familiar but unexpected feeling. She stood, pulled away from him, and set her glasses aside, waiting for her eyes to adjust for distance.

"What's going on?"

"Let's sit down," he said, not waiting for her to answer. He led her to the sofa in the room and sat with her. "Look at me," he ordered, waiting for her to meet his eye. "I want you to stay calm. Everyone is fine - something happened, but we're going to fix it. But you can't overreact. It's not good for you or the baby."

She was terrified now. "What happened?" Beck told her about the television spot and the blog post. He left out the fact that Tori had been accosted; that would send her over the edge and he was too worried to chance it. She immediately paled.

"When is that woman going to be done hurting me?"

"Now," Beck promised. "This is not a huge deal - it's just a blip on the radar. Linley and Addie are on their way now - they're going to fix this."

She nodded before resting her head against his chest and relaxing into his embrace. They sat in companionable silence for another ten minutes before a knock sounded on the door and Tori announced herself.

"Come in," Beck called. He stood his head as soon as she entered and she understood.

"Violet is home," Tori told them.

"You look upset," Jade observed.

"Just tired," Tori lied. "Long day." She knew then that she needed to talk to Violet – because Jade wasn't to know about their day. She headed back to the young girl's room and removed Lily, taking her to stay with Annie and Coral in the nursery. "I'll be back soon," she promised her daughter.

Violet was sitting on her bed, picking at the fringe on a pillow. Tori sat next to her and gathered the child in her arms. "We need to talk about what happened today," she said softly, laying a kiss on the crown of the girl's head.

"I'm fine," Violet promised.

"It was a little scary," Tori told her. "It's okay if you're not."

"I am," Violet answered unconvincingly. The face she made when putting up walls – the expression that denied the concern of others – it was so much like her mother that it broke Tori's heart. Luckily for her existence, Violet hadn't been forced to use it daily like her mother had. Tori pulled away enough so their eyes could meet.

"Violet, I know you were scared. It would be silly not to have been, okay? That woman shouldn't have bothered us. Our lives are not her business – and she had no right to pounce on us like she did. But walking away was the only thing we could do."

"I know," the little girl answered.

"I know you understood what she said about your mom's mom – do you have any questions?"

"She's really gone?" Tori nodded.

"That's good," Violet acknowledged. She was mean to mama."

"She was," Tori answered. "Anything else?"

"Is my other grandma okay?"

"She's fine," Tori promised. "She takes good care of herself – she'll be around for a long, long time." She went on to explain to Violet that they weren't going to tell Jade about the reporter – not yet at least. Violet was uncomfortable with the idea – but when Tori explained that it had been her dad's choice, she knew it was set in stone. Beck didn't make many decisions – but when he did, he stood by them staunchly. That was why Violet couldn't have pierced ears yet; she couldn't say she was always happy with his decisions, but she knew they were rock-solid.

Violet walked with Tori to Coral's room where Annie was sitting on the bed with Lily, trying to interest her in one toy or another. Coral slept soundly in her crib, ignoring the chaos around her. When Tori appeared, Lily was at her side immediately, silently demanding to be held. Tori easily swept her up and turned to Annie. "Do you have class tonight?" The young blonde shook her head. "Can you stay until Beck or Jade asks you otherwise? They need to meet with her agent and lawyer – it would be easier if you could keep the girls busy."

"That's no problem," Annie promised.

"There are prepared meals in the freezer that just need to be warmed up – if it gets to dinner time and they hadn't surfaced. If you need anything, call me." Annie nodded again.

Violet held onto Tori's blouse and the woman squatted down to her level to speak with her in hushed tones. "Don't leave," Violet begged.

"I have to go home," Tori whispered to her softly. "Lily is frightened – she needs me right now. Can you help Annie watch Coral?" Violet nodded solemnly, but tears streamed to her eyes. She wanted to see her mother – and Tori was the best alternative. Annie was a fairly new face in the house – she was no help at all.

Annie converted her quickly, wining over Violet by speaking to her like an adult (few adults did that) and asking her to help with Coral and dinner. Violet was still upset by the separation from her parents – who didn't appear until almost bedtime – but she tolerated Annie.

In their own house, Tori held Lily when she broke down and cried – admitting her fear over the run-in with the reporter. Once settled down, she was content to hold onto Tori for the rest of the night – even refusing to sleep in her own bed.

Most of Hollywood respected the Oliver family – so one well-written request for privacy ended the hounding from most sources. A few good threats of law suits ended the others.

Two days after the PR debacle ended0, Trina wandered over to the Oliver household to find Cat. While they had never kept in touch while apart, they did have fun when they were together. And Trina was looking for something to do. Tori was busy running Lily to a litany of doctor's appointment. They were meeting her for dinner at an Italian place they had frequented as kids with their parents - but Trina was bored in that moment and she knew Cat was not filming that day.

Her first encounter, as she let herself in through the kitchen door, was Jade. The matriarch stared at her, eyebrow cocked. "Hi," Trina said, her voice betraying no knowledge that Jade was silently challenging her ability to come and go as she pleased through the Oliver home.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked, her voice dangerously calm.

"I'm looking for Cat."

"She's sleeping," Jade answered, placing the casserole she had just finished into the refrigerator. Trina looked at the clock above the stove - it was after eleven.

"Still?"

"Yes," Jade panned firmly, inviting Trina to challenge her. Cat was still sleeping because she'd had a bad night. Rarely did she have nightmares - but the one the night before had woken the entire household. But that was nothing Trina needed to know.

Trina looked like she had something to say, so Jade waited. Eventually, the older Vega sister did speak - her voice even, not relaying her usual bratty demeanor. "Are you ever going to stop hating me?"

"I don't hate you," Jade told her. "I don't have the time or energy to hate you - it's not worth it. But I also don't think of you when you haven't tangled your way into my life."

"How about this then," Trina said, her voice gathering attitude and volume. "Are you ever going to stop being mean to me? Because I don't really care what you think - so the only person you're hurting is Tori. And despite what I think of you, I know you would never hurt my sister on purpose." Jade's eyes narrowed and she picked up her glass of water, walking over to the kitchen table and sitting, putting her feet up on the chair next to her.

"If you didn't care what I thought - we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I want my sister to forgive me," Trina told her. "And for some reason, you're intertwined in all of that. She says she forgives me - but she doesn't mean it."

"Why in the world should she forgive you? Why should I? When she needed you the most - you kept yourself thousands of miles away."

"I was scared," Trina said, her tone going softer.

"We were all scared!" Jade cried. "For God's sake, Trina. Your sister was a mess for so long. We were all scared. We had no idea what we were doing - if she would ever be okay again - if she would ever be independent. But she didn't deserve to be abandoned because you were scared."

"I know that," Trina answered. "But I'm not allowed to make mistakes? I supposed you've never made one?"

"I've made many," Jade corrected her. "But I've made amends for them - have you?" She stood and walked out of the room, leaving Trina reeling in her thoughts.

The next day proved to be exhausting and Jade found herself camped out on a living room sofa after lunch, watching Coral play with Annie. "Are you sure there's nothing I can get you, Mrs. West?"

"I'm fine," Jade promised. "I just need to rest for a bit."

"Would you be more comfortable in your bed? I think Coral is ready for her nap - why don't you let me get her ready and I'll bring her to you?" Jade accepted the offer and slowly started up the stairs to her bedroom. Halfway up, she emitted a groan of frustration when the doorbell rang. Annie was at the door immediately, Coral resting squarely on her hip.

"It's a brunette woman. I don't recognize her. And no one from the gate called." She looked up at Jade for direction. The older woman sighed and started back down the stairs, one hand cradling her stomach while the other held tightly to the railing. When she reached the door, she flung it open, revealing a face she hadn't seen since she was eighteen years old.

Nancy Valentine smiled hesitantly at her through pursed lips. "Hello, Jade."

"What do you want?" She demanded. She paused, realized the harshness in her voice, and looked over at Annie, who was hidden by the door. "Can you take Coral upstairs? I'll be up in a few minutes."

Once Annie disappeared up the stairs with the toddler, Jade once again glared at the brunette on her doorstep. "How did you get in here?"

"I'd like to see my daughter," Nancy answered, her voice tight and filled to the brim with emotion.

"She's not home," Jade responded. "And even if she were – why would she want to see you after all this time? You broke her heart."

"It's not for me," Nancy answered. "Martin went into congestive heart failure. He wants to see her. The doctors don't give him much time." She handed Jade a slip of paper that held the pertinent information. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. But Martin was a bystander in what happened all those years ago – the decisions about Catherina and Michael – those were my choices." Nancy disappeared from the doorway so quickly that Jade might have thought she was seeing things – if not for the slip of paper in her hand.

Jade never got her nap that day – she waited for her best friend to return from work and then told her about the strange visit. Cat was – as Jade knew she would be – adamant about seeing her father. Jade took her to the hospital and followed her into the cardiac ICU. Cat went into the room alone. Her best friend watched helplessly as she cried over her father – asking him why he'd never come back – begging him to be okay again.

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I apologize for the delay – life has been crazy right now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you think!


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